Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T18:13:11.188Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Growth of Ibyuk Pingo, Western Arctic Coast, Canada, and Some Implications for Environmental Reconstructions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

J. Ross Mackay*
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1W5, Canada

Abstract

Ibyuk Pingo, which is 49 m high and 300 m in basal diameter, is one of the largest pingos in the world. Precise surveys carried out for the 1973 to 1983 period indicate that the lower half of the pingo, below a height of 25 m, shows no perceptible growth. From 25 m to the top, the growth steadily increases to a maximum of 2.3 cm/yr at the summit. The source of growth is believed to lie at a depth of about 65 m below the highest peak. Evidence based upon the depth of permafrost near the pingo, radiocarbon dating of wood in the pingo overburden, heat conduction theory, and the measured growth rate suggests an age of about 1300 ± 200 yr. Ibyuk Pingo is in an unstable state and collapse could be initiated by further slumping, a thermal disturbance to the crater, or erosion along a radial dilation crack. A study of the potential collapse pattern of Ibyuk Pingo suggests a number of criteria that might be employed in the environmental reconstruction of large circular features that might be identified as collapsed pingo remnants.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Beuf, S. Biju-Duval, B. de Charpal, O. Rognon, P. Gariel, O. Bennacef, A.(1971).Les grès du Paleozoique inferieur au Sahara Publications de l'Institut francais du petrole, Collection “Science et Technique du Petrole” No. 18 294 298 ParisGoogle Scholar
Brown, W.G.(1964).Difficulties associated with predicting depth of freeze or thaw Canadian Geotechnical Journal 1 215 226 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cui, Z.(1982).Basic characteristics of periglacial landforms in the Quinghai-Xizang Plateau Scientia Sinica (Ser. B) 25 79 91 and 4 platesGoogle Scholar
Dieterich, J.H. Decker, R.W.(1975).Finite element modeling of surface deformation associated with volcanism Journal of Geophysical Research 80 4094 4102 Google Scholar
Flemal, R.C.(1976).Pingos and pingo scars: Their characteristics, distribution, and utility in reconstructing former permafrost environments Quaternary Research 6 37 53 Google Scholar
Fujino, K. Kato, K.(1978).Determination of oxygen isotope concentration in the ground ice of a tundra area Kinosita, S. Joint Studies on Physical and Biological Environments in the Permafrost. Alaska and North Canada, July to August 1977 Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University Sapporo, Japan 77 83 Google Scholar
Fyles, J.G. Heginbottom, J.A. Rampton, V.N.(1972).Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology, Mackenzie Delta to Hudson Bay 24th International Geological Congress Montreal Excursion A30 Google Scholar
Ito, K.(1978).Plant communities of permafrost Kinosita, S. Joint Studies on Physical and Biological Environments in the Permafrost, Alaska and North Canada, July to August 1977 Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University Sapporo, Japan 105 147 Google Scholar
Johnston, G.H.(1981).Permafrost. Engineering Design and Construction Wiley Toronto Google Scholar
Kinosita, S. Fujino, K. Horiguchi, K. Fukuda, M. Inoue, M.(1978).Core samplings of the uppermost layer in a tundra area Kinosita, S. Joint Studies on Physical and Biological Environments in the Permafrost, Alaska and North Canada, July to August 1977 Institute of Low Temperature Science. Hokkaido University Sapporo, Japan 17 44 Google Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1966).Segregated epigenetic ice and slumps in permafrost, Mackenzie Delta area, NWT, Ottawa Geographical Bulletin 8 59 80 Google Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1973).The growth of pingos, Western Arctic Coast, Canada Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 10 979 1004 Google Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1976).The Age of Ibyuk Pingo, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, District of Mackenzie Geological Survey of Canada 59 60 Paper 76-1BGoogle Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1977).Pulsating pingos, Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, NWT Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 14 209 222 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1978).Sub-pingo water lenses. Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula. Northwest Territories Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 15 1219 1227 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1979).Pingos of the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula area, Northwest Territories Geógraphie Physique et Quaternaire 33 3 61 Google Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1983).Pingo Growth and Subpingo Water Lenses, Western Arctic Coast, Canada Permafrost: Fourth International Conference, Proceedings National Academy Press Washington, D.C 762 766 Google Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1984).Lake Bottom Heave in Permafrost: Illisarvik Drained Lake Site, Richards Island, Northwest Territories Geological Survey of Canada 173 177 Paper 84-1BGoogle Scholar
Mackay, J.R.(1985).Permafrost Growth in Recently Drained Lakes, Western Arctic Coast Geological Survey of Canada 177 189 Paper 85-1BGoogle Scholar
Mackay, J.R. Rampton, V.N. Fyles, J.G.(1972).Relic Pleistocene permafrost, Western Arctic, Canada Science (Washington, D.C.) 176 1321 1323 Google Scholar
McRoberts, E.C. Morgenstern, N.R.(1974).The stability of thawing slopes Canadian Geotechnical Journal 11 447 469 Google Scholar
Mogi, K.(1958).Relations between the eruptions of various volcanoes and the deformations of the groud surfaces around them Bulletin of the Earthquake Research Institute 36 99 134 Google Scholar
Müller, F.(1959).Observations on Pingos Vol. 153 Translated from the German, Ottawa, National Research Council Canada TT-1073, 1963. [in German]Google Scholar
Müller, F.(1962).Analysis of some stratigraphic observations and radiocarbon dates from two pingos in the Mackenzie Delta Area, NWT Arctic 15 278 288 Google Scholar
Porsild, A.E.(1938).Earth mounds in unglaciated arctic northwestern America Geographical Review 28 46 58 Google Scholar
Rampton, V.N. Bouchard, M.(1975).Surficial Geology of Tuktoyaktuk, District of Mackenzie Geological Survey of Canada Paper 74-53Google Scholar
Rampton, V.N. Mackay, J.R.(1971).Massive Ice and Icy Sediments Throughout the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, Richards Island, and nearby Areas, District of Mackenzie Geological Survey of Canada Paper 71-21Google Scholar
Rampton, V.N. Walcott, R.I.(1974).Gravity profiles across ice-cored topography Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 11 110 122 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Soloviev, P.A.(1973).Thermokarst phenomena and landforms due to frost heaving in central Yakutia Biuletyn Peryglacjalny 23 135 155 Google Scholar
Stuiver, M.(1982).A high-precision calibration of the AD radiocarbon time scale Radiocarbon 24 1 26 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walsh, J.B. Decker, R.W.(1971).Surface deformation associated with volcanism Journal of Geophysical Research 76 3291 3302 Google Scholar
Washburn, A.L.(1980).Geocryology: A Survey of Periglacial Processes and Environments Wiley New York Google Scholar