This week we are sharing a research paper focused on how water moves through the ground in permafrost areas near Schefferville, Quebec, and how that affects runoff.
The study is titled Relationships Between Runoff Generation and Active Layer Development Near Schefferville, Quebec by Richard K. Wright. It is based on field observations collected in the Schefferville region during 1976 to 1979, including detailed measurements at a main research site called Hematite, with extra focus on two nearby locations.
What the study found
When the ground starts to thaw in spring and summer, the top layer of soil becomes active again; this is called the active layer. The study shows that water movement inside this layer matters a lot. Water can flow into still frozen ground, and when it does, it can change temperatures and thaw patterns in a way that simple heat only explanations do not fully capture. In some places, the ground can hover very close to 0°C for a while as ice melts or refreezes; this effect can influence how deep the ground thaws and how quickly runoff is produced.
Why we are sharing this
Studies like this help us understand how land, water, and permafrost behave over time; especially in places where conditions can shift quickly during freeze up and thaw season. We want community members to be able to find and read the full research for themselves; not just hear a short summary.
Read the full study and explore more documents
Building a complete record of studies on Naskapi land
We are currently working on logging every study we can find that was done on Naskapi land, and adding them to our website. If you know of any studies, reports, theses, or field research that should be included, please send them to:
Benjamin Jancewicz
BenjaminJancewicz@Naskapi.ca
Thank you for helping us build a stronger shared record of knowledge about our land; we appreciate it.