GUIDEBOOK 3 GUIDEBOOK TO PERMAFROST AND RELATED FEATURES OF THE NORTHERN YUKON TERRITORY AND MACKENZIE DELTA, CANADA Edited by H.M. French University of Ottawa and J.A. Heginbottom Geological Survey of Canada Fourth International Conference on Permafrost and International Geographical Union Commission on the Significance of Periglacial Phenomena July 18-22,1983 University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, U.S.A. STATE OF ALASKA Bill Sheffield, Governor Esther Wunnicke, Commissioner, Dept. ofNatural Resources Ross G. Schaff, State Geologist Cover photo: Ibyuk and Split Hill Pingos, near Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T. (photo NAPL A22535-60). For sale by Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, P.O. Box 80007, College, 99708; 3601 C St. (10th floor), Anchorage, 99503; P.O. Box 7438. Ketchikan, 99901; and 230 So. Franklin St. (Rm 407). Juneau. 99801. Cost: $8.50. ii CONTENTS Page Preface ............................................................... 1 List of authors ....................................................... 4 Acknowledgments ....................................................... 4 Regional setting - physiography and geology ........................... 5 Quaternary geology ................................................ 5 Cordilleran ice sheet ........................................... 6 Montace glaciers of southern Ogilvie Ranges ................. 9 Correlation and chronology .................................. 9 Laurentide glaciation ........................................... 10 Climate and permafrost ............................................ 12 Quaternary climate ............................................ 12 Present climate ................................................. 13 Nature and extent of permafrost ................................. 16 Permafrost hydrology .............................................. 18 Hydrology ....................................................... 18 Hydrochemistry .................................................. 19 Related phenomena ............................................... 21 Soils and vegetation .............................................. 21 Distribution of soils ........................................ 23 Soil properties ................................................. 24 Moisture and ice content .................................... 26 Soil temperatures........................................... 26 Micromorphology ............................................. 29 Cryoturbation ............................................... 29 Distribution of vegetation ...................................... 29 The Klondike and Dawson ............................................... 35 Klondike goldfields............................................... 35 Relief and surficial geology .................................... 35 Climate ......................................................... 38 Permafrost conditions .......................................... 40 Road log and site descriptions.................................. 42 Modern gold placer-mining operations ........................ 45 Mayes Claim. Hooker Creek ................................... 45 Stutter operation ........................................... 48 Dawson ............................................................ 51 Surficial geology ............................................... 51 Permafrost conditions....................................... 52 Building practices ............................................. 54 Municipal services.............................................. 56 Walking tour. ................................................... 57 Sixtymile Highway .............................................. 57 Road log and site descriptions.................................. 58 The Dempster Highway - Dawson to Eagle Plain .......................... 65 History of the Dempster Highway ................................... 65 Permafrost and terrain conditions................................. 66 Highway construction........................................... 67 Road log and site descriptions.................................... 68 The Dempster Highway - Eagle Plain to Inuvik .......................... 87 Regional setting .................................................. 87 iii CONTENTS (cont.) Page Stratigraphy and permafrost conditions ............................ 89 Engineering design and construction ............................... 92 Eagle River Bridge .............................................. 92 Insulated roadbed ............................................... 92 Road log and site descriptions .................................... 93 Peel River crossing to Inuvik ................................... 96 Mackenzie Delta and Inuvik ............................................ 113 Mackenzie Delta region ............................................ 113 Physiography and geology ........................................ 113 Quaternary history .............................................. 116 Permafrost conditions .......................................... 116 Hydrology and ice conditions.................................... 119 Geomorphology and vegetation .............................. 121 Inuvik ............................................................ 122 ownsite selection .............................................. 123 Permafrost and construction ..................................... 124 Points of interest .............................................. 125 Road log and site descriptions .................................. 132 Airport Road sites ................................... 132 Navy road sites ............................................. 137 Mackenzie Delta ecosystems.............................. 142 Tuktoyaktuk ........................................................ 147 Permafrost conditions and geomorphic processes .................... 147 Tuktoyaktuk settlement area ................................. 151 Pingos ...................................................... 151 Offshore permafrost ......................................... 153 Permafrost conditions and oil and gas development ................. 156 Ice-bonded permafrost ....................................... 158 Gas hydrates and offshore permafrost ........................ 159 Artificial islands and drillships ........................... 159 Terrain and environmental problems .......................... 160 Site descriptions ............................................... 161 Tuktoyaktuk ice cellar ...................................... 161 Pingo tunnel ................................................ 161 Ibyuk Pingo ................................................ 163 Peninsula Point Pingo ....................................... 165 Involuted hill area ......................................... 168 Ice-wedge polygons .......................................... 170 Organic deposits ............................................ 172 Walking tour of Tuktoyaktuk settlement area ....................... 172 General background .......................................... 173 Itinerary .................................................. 175 References ............................................................ 179 FIGURES Figure 1. Physiography of Yukon and western District of Mackenzie. N.W.T ................................................... 7 CONTENTS (cont.) 2 . Glacial limits in Yukon and western District of MacKenzie. N.W.T ..................................................... 3 . Distribution of mean annual air temperature and precipita- tion in northwestern Canada ............................... 4 . Distribution of permafrost in Canada ........................ 5 . Occurrence of ground water in permafrost areas .............. 6 . Distribution of soils in northwestern Canada ................ 7 . Turbic cryosols associated with earth hummocks and organic cryosols associated with high-center polygons ............. 8 . Moisture and ice content of some soils in the Canadian north ..................................................... 9 . Micromorphology of cryosolic soils .......................... 10 . Distribution of vegetation in northwestern Canada ........... 11 . Typical vegetation assemblages of the Mackenzie Delta region .................................................... General view of the dissected Klondike Plateau. Y.T ......... Cross profiles of Bonanza. Hunker. and Gold Bottom Creeks ... Topographic map of the Klondike goldfields. showing excursion route and stops for Day 1 ....................... Typical distribution of valley. creek. and terrace gravels in the Klondike area .............................. Climatic data for Dawson City airport. Y.T.. 1941-1971 ...... Section through peat plateau and fenland in discontinuous permafrost terrain. Klondike Highway ...................... Schematic cross section of Too Much Gold Creek showing assumed permafrost distribution and present vegetation .... Diagram showing permafrost section exposed in Mayes operation. Hunker Creek. August 30. 1980 .................. 6'~ vs 6"0 for water samples front the pond and the spring at the open-system pingo on the old Dawson road. 2 km east of Bear Creek. Y.T., and for average snowpack samples from the area .................................................. 21 . Generalized surficial geology along Fourth Avenue. Dawson .................................................... 22 . Air photograph showing townsite of Dawson. August 1974 ...... 23 . Ground-temperature profiles. Dawson townsite ................ 24 . Generalized stratigraphy of surficial