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Temperature loggers were placed in 17 lakes and 13 channels throughout the Mackenzie Delta to determine the annual mean bottom temperature (Tb) and its spatial and temporal variation for June 2009 – June 2010. The lakes were classified as perched or connected, depending on the duration of their connection to the channel hydrologic system. Average Tb values for nine perched lakes, five channels, and eight connected lakes distributed throughout the Mackenzie Delta were 5.5, 4.6, and 3.4 °C, respectively. The range of Tb among all instrumented water bodies in the Delta was 4.0 °C. Over the year, bottom temperatures ranged from >20 °C in midsummer to –5 °C in midwinter, with relative stability between freezeup in mid-October and breakup at the beginning of June. Channel, perched, and connected lake Tb, and mean annual nearsurface ground temperatures of –4 °C in alluvial sedge wetlands and –2.25 °C in forest, were used to estimate that about 60% of Delta lakes and nearly the entire channel network maintain through-taliks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of icing involves the freezing of overflow layers, on ground or within streams, and results in ice bodies called "aufeis" that are common in most northern landscapes. Knowledge about aufeis is still limited despite the cold region engineering challenge they represent. Understanding the causes of overflow events leading to aufeis development represents a key for the prediction, mitigation, and management of this geohazard and can also support the planning and design of infrastructure in the North. This paper introduces a practical classification for the diverse range of overflow processes that generate aufeis, including under-represented processes, such as the instability of winter streamflow. Importantly, it distinguishes flow conveyance from water supply overflow processes and describes the temporal aspect of icing intensity. Finally, research topics are proposed to improve our understanding of aufeis, including their predictability, the impact of climate change on their occurrence and extent, and stream morphology–aufeis interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]