Pingo National Landmark

Pingo National Landmark is a natural area protecting eight pingos near Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. It is in a coastal region of the Arctic Ocean which contains approximately 1,350 Arctic ice dome hills—approximately one quarter of the world's pingos.Cite web|author=Parks Canada|authorlink=Parks Canada|year=2005| url= http://www.pc.gc.ca/docs/v-g/pingo/index_e.asp |title=Pingo National Landmark|accessdate=2008-01-05]

The Landmark comprises an area roughly convert|16|km2|abbr=on, just convert|5|km|abbr=on west of Tuktoyaktuk, and includes Ibyuk pingo, Canada's highest (and the world's second-highest), at convert|49|m|abbr=on. The Landmark is managed by Parks Canada within the national park system system, under the National Parks Act. Although a nationwide Landmarks program was envisioned at its creation, Pingo remains the country's only National Landmark.

In a region near the Beaufort Sea which is quite flat, pingos dominate the skyline, rising from convert|5|to|36|m|ft|abbr=on, in various stages of growth and collapse. Ibyuk pingo, the highest, continues to grow about convert|2|cm|abbr=on per year, and is estimated to be at least 1,000 years old. Unique to areas of permafrost, pingos have formed here thanks to numerous lakes in the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula.

Other features

Besides pingos, the Landmark contains an excellent example of massive ice. One section of the frozen groundwater, part of an eroded hillside by the sea, is over convert|500|m|abbr=on long, and convert|10|m|abbr=on high. Other less visible ice beds in the region are over convert|40|m|abbr=on thick. This type of ice is found in permafrost, and can be thousands of years old.

Other features of a permafrost environment can be found in the Landmark, including wedge ice. These are vertical masses of ice that form after water freezes in the cracks around ground that has contracted due to extreme cold. When ice wedges connect to one another, they can form tundra polygons, which are also visible at Pingo National Landmark.

Landmark recognition

The area has been a focus of scientific study for over 50 years, and research here has formed the basis of current understanding about the origin and growth of pingos. The region was first identified as a site of national significance in 1978, and landmark status was proposed. Legislation creating it in 1984 is known as the Inuvialuit Final Agreement (officially, the Western Arctic (Inuvialuit) Claims Settlement Act (1984)) [ [http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/pr/agr/inu/wesar_e.pdf Inuvialuit Final Agreement] ] . It provided for cooperative management of the Landmark between the Government of Canada, the Inuvialuit Land Administration, and the people of Tuktoyaktuk. It reserved subsurface rights for the Inuvialuit, federal jurisdiction for the surface, and that the pingos would be preserved unimpaired.

Visiting the Landmark

Currently, there are no visitor facilities at the Landmark, but the National Park Service is working with local groups on developing an interpretive hiking trail, boat launch, docks, a boardwalk, and viewing platform. Local tour operators provide guided access to the site, which is easiest by boat. Hiking provides a more challenging option, but no matter how visitors access the site, Arctic weather and varying water levels can force a change of plans and an alternate route of return.

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