Controls on freezing-thaw cycles in a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical system in permafrost area, Central Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories

Numerical analysis of coupled water, vapor, heat, and stress fields are used to quantify the interactions between surface water and groundwater flow and thermal dynamics related to freezing-thaw and expansion-settlement in seasonally frozen areas. The model structure will be calibrated and validated using measurements, such as the moisture, temperature, and strains in the literature. Then, a virtual watershed approach will be used to test and modify the coupled framework, according to field observations and other well-recognized scientific findings. Finally, this modified model framework will be applied into typical permafrost area, to investigate thermo-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) dynamics, and predict possible damage-related processes in the context of climate change. This model framework and generated data will support the project titled North Water Futures Big Data Platform and 'Smart Watersheds'. These are Pillar 3 project under the Global Water Futures Program funded by Canada First Research Excellence Fund.