First PeTCaT Expedition to the Canadian Arctic 2026

25 September 2026, by Carolin Frauhammer

Photo: UHH/C. Frauhammer

Soil sampling in the re-vegetated RTS on the Peel Plateau

This August, Christian Knoblauch, Ruud Rijkers, Carolina Voigt and Carolin Frauhammer made the long way to the Northwest Territories of Canada for the PeTCaT project.

They explored retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS) on the Peel Plateau near Fort McPherson and in the Mackenzie Delta near the Trail Valley Research Station to investigate the long-term fate of carbon in thawed permafrost; from the intact tundra above, over the still active headwall to already re-vegetated sites.

Therefore, plant, soil and gas samples were collected to see 1. how fast thawed permafrost organic matter is decomposed, and 2. how plant regrowth affects the emission or uptake of greenhouse gasses, such as CO2 and CH4.

Beside these research activities, the team gained much experience about the local slumps, the region and the local life from their wildlife monitor, who protected the team against possibly appearing grizzly bears.