Carleton’s Stephan Gruber, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, has been named Canada Research Chair in Climate Change Impacts/Adaptation in Northern Canada. The Honourable Greg Rickford, minister of state (Science and Technology), made the announcement on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013.

“Our government remains committed to attracting and retaining the world’s best researchers, creating jobs and strengthening our economy,” said Rickford. “Through programs such as the Canada Research Chairs, we are supporting cutting-edge research at Canadian universities and fostering innovation by helping researchers bring their ideas to the marketplace, to benefit Canadians and improve our quality of life.”

Gruber’s research involves measuring and simulating permafrost environments to understand their current state and likely future development.  Permafrost is hidden beneath nearly 50 per cent of Canada’s landmass. Thaw of this frozen material affects natural and man-made systems. Better insight resulting from his research will help manage the North amid climate change and economic development.

“We are entering an era of widespread permafrost thaw,” said Gruber. “Measuring, simulating and communicating this better is important for supporting an economically and ecologically wise development.”

As Canada’s North undergoes economic and environmental change, accurate measurement and reliable simulations of subsurface properties, such as temperature, ice and water conditions, can help Canada to make appropriate and timely decisions.

Going beyond what is routinely measured, Gruber’s research team plans to use dielectric spectroscopy to study the composition of subsurface materials, as well as laser scanning and computer simulations to estimate subsurface ice loss.

To extend the value of these measurements, researchers will develop simulation methods that enable gathering and integrating widely scattered evidence across the North to build a more coherent picture of permafrost change. To increase reliability, they will investigate model uncertainty, issues of scaling, and model testing and verification.

About Stephan Gruber:
Prior to his appointment at Carleton University, Stephan Gruber was a senior researcher at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. His research group has been involved in a number of large collaborative research programs, bringing together engineering, geoscience and government agencies.

Gruber is co-editor-in-chief of The Cryosphere and a contributing author to the Fifth Assessment ReportInternational Panel on Climate Change of the UN Environment Program and World Meteorological Organization.

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Carleton University
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christopher_cline@carleton.ca

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