This study investigated the application of CT (computed tomography) scanning to tackle the limitations of traditional destructive methods in characterizing permafrost cores. Five different permafrost cores were scanned at resolutions of 65 and 25 μm with new calibration method. The identification of different materials from CT images showed air (gas), ice (excess and pore), and sediments using an Otsu segmentation method. The results were validated by a destructive (cuboid) and a non-destructive method.

Ice content is a critical variable in the context of thawing permafrost, and permafrost cores provide a means to measure the characteristics of frozen ground; however, these measurements are typically destructive and time intensive. Multi-sensor core logging (MSCL) provides a fast, non-destructive method to image permafrost cores, measure bulk density, and estimate ice content. The use of MSCL will improve existing digital permafrost archives by adding high-quality and reproducible data.