The Permafrost Archives Laboratory is a $4M multi-user facility funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, Alberta Economic Development and Trade and the University of Alberta, and hosted within the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Along with the Canadian Ice Core Laboratory (CICL), PACS Lab represents an outstanding investment in cryospheric science and engineering at the University of Alberta and the only facilities of their kind in Canada. 

PACS Lab carries out research focused on the characterization and analysis of permafrost materials, including non-destructive methods (computed tomography and multi-sensor core scanning), analytical facilities (elemental, isotopic and physical samples), and clean labs for biogeochemical and ancient DNA sampling and extractions of permafrost materials.  These labs support science and engineering research related to permafrost in Canada.  The PACS CT facility is an industrial CT Scanner used both for permafrost and diverse non-permafrost applications in engineering, materials science, geology and biology.  It is available for external users on a per scan basis. 

The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs, and research stations are primarily located on the traditional territory of Cree, Blackfoot, Métis, Nakota Sioux, Iroquois, Dene, and Ojibway/Saulteaux/Anishinaabe nations; lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7, and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Métis and Inuit nations.