Nahuel Huentemilla

Hello everyone,

I am Nahuel, a Ph.D. student from Argentina, and I am grateful to the PermaIntern/SEDNA program for the opportunity to complete a two-month internship at the University of Sherbrooke (UdS) at the end of 2025, under the supervision of Professor Frédéric Bouchard at the Department of Applied Geomatics. I had the privilege of working and sharing moments with the GRIMP group (Groupe de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les milieux polaires).

For my Ph.D. at CADIC – CONICET in Ushuaia (Argentina), I study geomorphological changes related to glacier retreat in the Fuegian Andes over the last 150 years. In this context, I came to UdS to exchange knowledge and learn how they study soils and lakes in the Arctic, as well as how they track permafrost thawing and its consequences.

Working on the thesis projects of many graduate students from the GRIMP allowed me to acquire new skills and tools for my research background. In the laboratory, with the guidance and help of Gab (the local field/lab technician), I determined soil moisture and the percentage of organic matter and carbonates through drying and loss-on-ignition processes. In addition, I prepared samples and analyzed their C, N, and P content using an Elemental Analyzer. These analyses were conducted in samples from soils and lakes located in both Cambridge Bay (Nunavut) and the Wapusk National Park (northern Manitoba).

To track permafrost thawing in Cambridge Bay, we analyzed some Retrogressive Thaw Slumps using drone imagery. In this regard, I built orthophotos and digital surface models using data collected by the group during the last northern hemisphere summer and processed drone flights using Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) data. I learned various post-processing techniques and worked with software I had never used before.

Fortunately, I also had the opportunity to participate in the GIS Day, a full-day event with multiple activities where I learned about diverse tasks carried out by the Department of Applied Geomatics at UdS. Additionally, I gained experience in sediment core sampling and tested new coring tools in the field, practicing with different types of corers. Toward the end of the activities, I had the chance to share a great moment and give a short talk about a Patagonian field trip in Argentina, among many stories about Arctic fieldwork.

One of the most important aspects of this experience was meeting wonderful people and having the opportunity to network, build connections, and strengthen ties as part of the global scientific community.