Nordicana D38 / DOI : 10.5885/45558XD-EBDE74B80CE146C6

Drill logs, visible ice content and core photos from 2015 surficial drilling in the Canadian Shield tundra near Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories, Canada

Stephan Gruber ¹, Nicholas Brown ¹, Emilie Stewart-Jones ¹, Kumari Karunaratne ², Julia Riddick ¹, Christian Peart ¹, Rupesh Subedi ¹, Steve Kokelj ²
¹ Carleton University
² Northwest Territories Geological Survey

Abstract

These data were collected as a part of the Slave Province surficial materials and permafrost study (SPSMPS) which took place near the Ekati mine, north of Lac de Gras. Data comprise drill logs and core photos for 60 drill holes. A lightweight, low-water consumption diamond coring drill was used to obtain core samples. In some cases, material was too sandy to recover any material using the core barrel, so an auger bit was used instead to obtain samples. The samples were described, and the presence or absence of frozen material was recorded. Where frozen material was present, an estimate of visible ice content was made, and the structure of the ice was described.

Data citation

Gruber, S., Brown, N., Stewart-Jones, E., Karunaratne, K., Riddick, J., Peart, C., Subedi, R., Kokelj, S. 2018. Drill logs, visible ice content and core photos from 2015 surficial drilling in the Canadian Shield tundra near Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories, Canada, v. 1.0 (2015-2015). Nordicana D38, doi: 10.5885/45558XD-EBDE74B80CE146C6.

Location map

Acknowledgements

Barrett Elliott and Philippe Normandeau (Northwest Territories Geological Survey) coordinated and led the broader SPSMPS project. Luca Heim assisted with field work. Aurora Geosciences provided field logistics and project management support. Amos Hayes and Jean-Pierre Fiset (Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre) developed and continue to maintain the permafrost database at Carleton University. In-kind contributions provided by the Ekati diamond mine (Dominion Diamond Corporation) facilitated much of the field work. Financial support for instruments and field work has been provided by the Northwest Territories Geological Survey, by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, by the Polar Continental Shelf Program, by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, and by ArcticNet (Project: "Permafrost research for northern infrastructures and improved community life").