Research

Graduate research

While most of the existing research focuses on permafrost thaw happening at 0°C, saline permafrost  exists all along the Arctic coasts and has a depressed freezing point. Saline permafrost is defined as permafrost where either part or all the total water content is unfrozen due to high dissolved solids content that lowers the freezing point. Saline permafrost has been considered to trigger increased rates of surface processes. However, no research is directly aimed at the relationships between saline permafrost degradation and geomorphological change. 

My research addresses this gap by identifying the depth and extent of saline permafrost using geophysical methods and evaluating how soil salinity contributes to accelerated permafrost degradation and erosion along the Arctic coast of Alaska.

Fieldwork
Here are some pictures from the most recent field trips.