Lukas Arenson

Dr. Lukas Arenson, Ph.D., P. Eng. (BC, YK, NU, NT), is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer with primary areas of expertise in geotechnical and mountain permafrost engineering, including specializations in frozen soil mechanics and geothermal modeling. He is a renowned expert in the dynamics of ice-rich frozen slopes, particularly rock glaciers. He has expert knowledge in in-situ testing and monitoring of mountain permafrost in North America, the European Alps, and the dry Andes of South America. He has further developed analytical solutions to analyze rock glacier stability and a permafrost distribution model to estimate the spatial probability of permafrost occurrence in mountainous terrain, including the Andes, Alaska, and the Hindu Kush Himalaya. 

During his research, Dr. Arenson also focused on the thermo-mechanical processes of frozen and freezing soils at a microstructural level to better understand the hydraulic, strength, and deformation properties of frozen soils under changing stress, temperature, and salinity conditions. Dr. Arenson has been involved in work related to preventing permafrost degradation, re-establishing pre-construction thermal regimes after construction, and accelerating the consolidation of mine waste tailings or cold climate heap leaching.

Dr. Arenson is Adjunct Professor at the University of Manitoba and Polytechnique Montreal, and currently serves as VP for the International Permafrost Association.