Etienne Godin

Director: Daniel Fortier

Primary Address:
Department of Geography
Strathcona building, Room 225-1
Université de Montréal
520 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
Montréal, Qc, Canada, H2V 2B8
Phone: (514) 343-6111 ext. 27125

Email: [email protected]

Project Title

The permafrost thermo-erosion process in the continuous permafrost zone

Description of the project research

Water from snowmelt runoff seeping repeatedly in open contraction cracks in ice wedges can lead to the initiation of thermo-erosion gullies. Few hundred gullies have been identified in the region of glacier C-79. My research focuses on the process of thermal erosion of ice wedges, which leads to the rapid degradation of permafrost and the impact of gullies on the local drainage in wetlands. My study site is located in the valley of glacier C-79 on Bylot Island, Canada.

The objectives are to:
1) quantify the convective heat exchange between water act and permafrost;
2) characterize the geomorphology of thermo-erosion gullies from their initiation up to their stabilization;
3) determine the hydrographic changes induced by the development of thermo-erosion gullies in permafrost;
4) model the physical process of thermal erosion in different geomorphological contexts for the development of gullies.

The ubiquity of ice wedges, the sensitivity of northern ecosystems and economic development in the High Arctic makes it necessary to increase knowledge about the risks to infrastructure and the environment in connection with the gully permafrost.

Key-words
Periglacial geomorphology, Hydrologic processes, Remote sensing and GIS, Physical modelling, Landscape evolution

Scientific articles in peer-review journals & conferences

Godin, E., Fortier, D. Coulombe, S. (2014). Effects of thermo-erosion gullying on hydrologic flow networks, discharge and soil loss. Environmental Research Letters 9(10): 105010.

Godin, E. , Fortier, D. (2012). Geomorphology of a thermo-erosion gully, Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 49(8): 979-986.

Godin, E. and D. Fortier (2012). Fine-Scale Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of Multiple Thermo-Erosion Gully Development on Bylot Island, Eastern Canadian Archipelago. Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Permafrost, Salekhard, Russia., Vol.1, p. 125-130.

Godin, E.,  Fortier, D. (2010) Geomorphology of thermo-erosion gullies – case study from Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. Proceedings 6th Canadian Permafrost Conference and 63rd Canadian Geotechnical Conference, Calgary, 1540-1547.

Gray J.T., Godin E., Masse J. et Fortier D. (2009)   Trois décennies d’observation des fluctuations du régime thermique du pergélisol dans le Parc National de la Gaspésie. Le Naturaliste Canadien. 133(3) :69-77.

Conference presentations

Godin, E. and D. Fortier (2012). Fine-Scale Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of Multiple Thermo-Erosion Gully Development on Bylot Island, Eastern Canadian Archipelago. Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Permafrost, 24-29 June 2012, Salekhard, Russia.

Godin, E., Fortier D. (2010) Dégradation rapide du pergélisol par ravinement et thermo-érosion de polygones à coin de glace durant la décennie 1999-2009 sur l’Ile Bylot, Nunavut, Canada. À la Conférence régionale des utilisateurs de ESRI Canada 2010 «SIG Concevons notre avenir» à la ville de Québec. Hôtel Plaza Québec, Ste-Foy, QC, 200 pp.

Godin, E., Fortier D. (2010) Rapid permafrost degradation by thermo-erosion and gullying of ice-wedge polygons during the 1999-2009 decade on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. In: 40th International Arctic Workshop, Program and Abstracts 2010. Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado at Boulder, 85-88.

Conference posters

Fortier, D., Godin, E., Coulombe, S., Veillette, A., Létourneau, G., (2014). Morphometry and evolution of thermal erosion gullies in the valley of the glacier C-79, Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic archipelago. THAW 2014 – THermokarst Aquatic ecosystems Workshop, Québec, Québec, Canada.

Godin, E., Fortier, D. (2014) Quantification du processus de thermo-érosion de la glace massive du pergélisol à partir d’un coin de glace instrumenté (Ile Bylot, NU, Canada). Colloque annuel du Centre d’études nordiques, 12-13 février, Centre Eau Terre Environnement de l’INRS, Québec, QC, Canada, Résumé p. 14.

Veillette, A., Fortier, D., Godin, E., Coulombe, S., Létourneau, G., (2014). Dégradation rapide du pergélisol par thermo-érosion et ravinement: implications pour le géosystème périglaciaire. Colloque annuel du Centre d’études nordiques, 12-13 février, Centre Eau Terre Environnement de l’INRS, Québec, QC, Canada, p. 14.

Godin, E. and D. Fortier (2013). Physical modeling and monitoring of the process of thermal-erosion of an ice-wedge during a partially-controlled field experiment (Bylot Island, NU, Canada). Fall Meeting. AGU. San Francisco, California, 9-13 Dec. Abstract C43A-0659.

Fortier, D., Godin, E., Coulombe, S. (2013) Permafrost erosion studies: buried ice and gullying. Étude présentée à la communauté de Pond Inlet, 31 mai, Pond Inlet, NU, Canada.

Godin E et Fortier D. (2013).Impacts du ravinement de thermo-érosion sur l’hydrologie d’un petit bassin-versant sur l’île Bylot dans l’archipel arctique canadien. Colloque 651, présenté au Congrès de l’Association francophone pour le savoir, Québec (QC), 6-10 Mai 2013

Fortier, D.,  Kurchatova, A. N., Jorgenson, T., Godin, E., M-Lepage, J., Stephani, E., Kanevskiy, M.Z. et Shur, Y. (2012). Origin of massive ice at Cape Marre-Sale, Yamal Peninsula, Siberia, Russia: contrasting views. Abstract C13A-0605, présenté au 2012 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 3-7 Déc

Godin, E. et Fortier D. (2011). Fine scale monitoring of ice ablation following heat transfer: case study based on ice-wedge thermo-erosion on Bylot Island (Canadian High Arctic) and laboratory observations. Abstract C41C-0411 presenté au 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 5-9 Dec.

Godin, E., Fortier D. (2011) Current distribution of thermo-erosion gullies and implication for the hydrological regime of wetlands, Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. 41th International Arctic Workshop March 2-4, Montreal, Canada. In: Program and Abstracts, p. 121-123.

Godin, E., Wheeler, M., Baeseman, J., Pope, A. (2011) The Association of Polar Early Career Scientists – Strengthening the leadership opportunities of young researchers. 41th International Arctic Workshop March 2-4, Montreal, Canada. In: Program and Abstracts, p. 119-120.

Godin, E., Fortier D. (2011) Current distribution of thermo-erosion gullies and implication for the hydrological regime of wetlands, Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. Presenté at Symposium nordique, 9-10 février, Université Laval, Canada: p. 24.

Godin E., Fortier D. (2011) Current distribution of thermo-erosion gullies and implication for the hydrological regime of wetlands, Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada. In: Arctic Frontiers Abstracts 2011. University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway, January 26-28 2011, p. 206.

Godin E., Fortier D. (2010), Distribution and local hydrographic impact of rapid permafrost degradation by thermo-erosion and gullying of ice-wedge polygons in glacier valley C-79 on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, Abstract C31A-0490 presented at 2010 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 13-17 Dec.

Fortier D., Godin E., Perreault N., Levesque E.  (2010), Periglacial Landscape Stabilization Following Rapid Permafrost Degradation by Thermo-erosion, Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Abstract C31A-0497 presented at 2010 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, Calif., 13-17 Dec.

Godin E., Fortier D., Perreault N., Lévesque E., Gauthier G. Impact on Greater Snow Goose habitat by wetland drainage resulting from permafrost gullying on Bylot Island, NU, Canada. Presented at ArcticWOLVES meeting, November 18-20, Laval University, Canada: p. 4.

Godin E., Fortier D., Lévesque E. (2010) Dégradation rapide du pergélisol par ravinement et thermo-érosion de polygones à coin de glace durant la décennie 1999-2009 sur l’Ile Bylot, Nunavut, Canada.
Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada. Symposium nordique 2010, 25-26 février 2010.

Brossard, G., E. Godin, D. Fortier et E. Lévesque (2009). Degradation of wetlands and goose habitat by thermo-erosion and gullying of the permafrost, Mini Colloque du CEN, Québec, Québec, Canada.

Godin, E., J.T. Gray, J. Masse and D. Fortier (2008). Evolution of the thermal regime of permafrost in Gaspésie, Southern Québec, Canada over the last 30 years, Arctic Changes 2008, Québec, Québec, Canada.

Scholarships and other awards

2013 : Malcom-Ramsay Memorial Award
2012 : W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research (Doctorate)
2011-2014 : NSERC ES D Scholarship
2011 : YSF  Scholarship(Young Scientific Forum), Norway Research Council
2010 : National Bank of Canada Scholarship of Excellence 2010
2010 : W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research (Masters)
2010-2013 : Center for Northern Studies award for a an oral presentation in an international congress
2009 : ESRI Canada Scholarship for students 2009
2009-2013 : Northern Scientific Training Program Scholarship (NSTP)
2009-2011 : FQRNT Graduate Scholarship
2009-2010 : NSERC Alexander-Graham-Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship
2009 : Award for the best presentation at the « Journée Scientifique » at the Department of Geography at the Université de Montréal
2009 : NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (NSERC-USRA)
2008 : Canadian Royal Geographic Society Award

Affiliations

Center for Northern Studies, Laval University, Quebec
ADAPT (Arctic Development and Adaptation to permafrost in Transition) Laval University, Quebec
Canadian Geophysical Union -Earth Surface Processes Section (CGU-ESPS)
American Geological Union (AGU)
Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN)
Association of Polar Early Carrer Scientists (APECS)
International Permafrost Association (IPA)

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