Factual Report - Permafrost Research Site

Abstract

Two benchmark sites are established near Longyearbyen, Svalbard (78°13’N, 15°28’E) for long-term geotechnical testing and evaluation of field investigation methods in perennially frozen soils (i.e. permafrost). These sites, named “Adventdalen” and “UNIS East” based on their location, form part the research infrastructure of the Norwegian GeoTest Sites (NGTS) project. Since 2016, efforts have focused on characterization and instrumentation of the upper 30 m of the soil stratigraphy. This report contains all results from field and laboratory tests related to the NGTS permafrost site available as of the revision date. In situ methods include core drilling, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), piezocone penetration testing (CPT), and monitoring of the ground thermal regime. Laboratory investigations include index, thermal characteristics, and unconfined compression testing.

Characterization of the Svalbard permafrost sites are summarized in two reports: (1) a factual report (20160154-06-R) and (2) an interpretation report (20160154-07-R). This report, 20160154-06-R, presents a factual summary of laboratory and in situ testing conducted at the sites in the 2016-2018 period. Site specific tests and methods are described in the present report. Standard methods for laboratory and in situ tests that apply for all NGTS sites are detailed in the general reports NGTS Report 02 (20160154-02-R) and NGTS Report 03 (20160154-03-R), respectively.