PERMAFROST ZONATION IN EASTERN CANADA: A REVIEW OF PUBLISHED MAPS

Abstract

Large discrepancies in placement of zonal “boundaries” are apparent between maps depicting the areal extent of permafrost in the Hudson Bay region. Although progressive improvements in data availablility are apparent through time, many of the differences between maps are attributable to a lack of explicit mapping criteria, to ambiguous or conflicting definitions of permafrost “continuity,” and to the widely recognized lack of observational data. The term “continuous permafrost” should be used only with reference to small (e.g., subcontinental) geographical scales, in which zonal tendencies are apparent. Cartographic depictions should be based on well-defined mapping criteria. [Key words: permafrost, cartography, eastern Canada, frozen ground.]