Articles | Volume 12, issue 6
The Cryosphere, 12, 1957–1968, 2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1957-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
The Cryosphere, 12, 1957–1968, 2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1957-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article 11 Jun 2018
Research article | 11 Jun 2018
Microtopographic control on the ground thermal regime in ice wedge polygons
Charles J. Abolt et al.
Related authors
Dylan R. Harp, Vitaly Zlotnik, Charles J. Abolt, Bob Busey, Sofia T. Avendaño, Brent D. Newman, Adam L. Atchley, Elchin Jafarov, Cathy J. Wilson, and Katrina E. Bennett
The Cryosphere, 15, 4005–4029, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4005-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4005-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Polygon-shaped landforms present in relatively flat Arctic tundra result in complex landscape-scale water drainage. The drainage pathways and the time to transition from inundated conditions to drained have important implications for heat and carbon transport. Using fundamental hydrologic principles, we investigate the drainage pathways and timing of individual polygons, providing insights into the effects of polygon geometry and preferential flow direction on drainage pathways and timing.
Dylan R. Harp, Vitaly Zlotnik, Charles J. Abolt, Brent D. Newman, Adam L. Atchley, Elchin Jafarov, and Cathy J. Wilson
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-100, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-100, 2020
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Polygon shaped land forms present in relatively flat Arctic tundra result in complex landscape scale water drainage. The drainage pathways and the time to transition from inundated conditions to drained have important implications for heat and carbon transport. Using fundamental hydrologic principles, we investigate the drainage pathways and timing of individual polygons providing insights into the effects of polygon geometry and preferential flow direction on drainage pathways and timing.
Charles J. Abolt, Michael H. Young, Adam L. Atchley, and Cathy J. Wilson
The Cryosphere, 13, 237–245, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-237-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-237-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We present a workflow that uses a machine-learning algorithm known as a convolutional neural network (CNN) to rapidly delineate ice wedge polygons in high-resolution topographic datasets. Our workflow permits thorough assessments of polygonal microtopography at the kilometer scale or greater, which can improve understanding of landscape hydrology and carbon budgets. We demonstrate that a single CNN can be trained to delineate polygons with high accuracy in diverse tundra settings.
Elchin E. Jafarov, Daniil Svyatsky, Brent Newman, Dylan Harp, David Moulton, and Cathy Wilson
The Cryosphere, 16, 851–862, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-851-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-851-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Recent research indicates the importance of lateral transport of dissolved carbon in the polygonal tundra, suggesting that the freeze-up period could further promote lateral carbon transport. We conducted subsurface tracer simulations on high-, flat-, and low-centered polygons to test the importance of the freeze–thaw cycle and freeze-up time for tracer mobility. Our findings illustrate the impact of hydraulic and thermal gradients on tracer mobility, as well as of the freeze-up time.
Dylan R. Harp, Vitaly Zlotnik, Charles J. Abolt, Bob Busey, Sofia T. Avendaño, Brent D. Newman, Adam L. Atchley, Elchin Jafarov, Cathy J. Wilson, and Katrina E. Bennett
The Cryosphere, 15, 4005–4029, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4005-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4005-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Polygon-shaped landforms present in relatively flat Arctic tundra result in complex landscape-scale water drainage. The drainage pathways and the time to transition from inundated conditions to drained have important implications for heat and carbon transport. Using fundamental hydrologic principles, we investigate the drainage pathways and timing of individual polygons, providing insights into the effects of polygon geometry and preferential flow direction on drainage pathways and timing.
Dylan R. Harp, Vitaly Zlotnik, Charles J. Abolt, Brent D. Newman, Adam L. Atchley, Elchin Jafarov, and Cathy J. Wilson
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-100, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2020-100, 2020
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Polygon shaped land forms present in relatively flat Arctic tundra result in complex landscape scale water drainage. The drainage pathways and the time to transition from inundated conditions to drained have important implications for heat and carbon transport. Using fundamental hydrologic principles, we investigate the drainage pathways and timing of individual polygons providing insights into the effects of polygon geometry and preferential flow direction on drainage pathways and timing.
Elchin E. Jafarov, Dylan R. Harp, Ethan T. Coon, Baptiste Dafflon, Anh Phuong Tran, Adam L. Atchley, Youzuo Lin, and Cathy J. Wilson
The Cryosphere, 14, 77–91, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-77-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-77-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Improved subsurface parameterization and benchmarking data are needed to reduce current uncertainty in predicting permafrost response to a warming climate. We developed a subsurface parameter estimation framework that can be used to estimate soil properties where subsurface data are available. We utilize diverse geophysical datasets such as electrical resistance data, soil moisture data, and soil temperature data to recover soil porosity and soil thermal conductivity.
Charles J. Abolt, Michael H. Young, Adam L. Atchley, and Cathy J. Wilson
The Cryosphere, 13, 237–245, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-237-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-237-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We present a workflow that uses a machine-learning algorithm known as a convolutional neural network (CNN) to rapidly delineate ice wedge polygons in high-resolution topographic datasets. Our workflow permits thorough assessments of polygonal microtopography at the kilometer scale or greater, which can improve understanding of landscape hydrology and carbon budgets. We demonstrate that a single CNN can be trained to delineate polygons with high accuracy in diverse tundra settings.
Mehdi Rahmati, Lutz Weihermüller, Jan Vanderborght, Yakov A. Pachepsky, Lili Mao, Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi, Niloofar Moosavi, Hossein Kheirfam, Carsten Montzka, Kris Van Looy, Brigitta Toth, Zeinab Hazbavi, Wafa Al Yamani, Ammar A. Albalasmeh, Ma'in Z. Alghzawi, Rafael Angulo-Jaramillo, Antônio Celso Dantas Antonino, George Arampatzis, Robson André Armindo, Hossein Asadi, Yazidhi Bamutaze, Jordi Batlle-Aguilar, Béatrice Béchet, Fabian Becker, Günter Blöschl, Klaus Bohne, Isabelle Braud, Clara Castellano, Artemi Cerdà, Maha Chalhoub, Rogerio Cichota, Milena Císlerová, Brent Clothier, Yves Coquet, Wim Cornelis, Corrado Corradini, Artur Paiva Coutinho, Muriel Bastista de Oliveira, José Ronaldo de Macedo, Matheus Fonseca Durães, Hojat Emami, Iraj Eskandari, Asghar Farajnia, Alessia Flammini, Nándor Fodor, Mamoun Gharaibeh, Mohamad Hossein Ghavimipanah, Teamrat A. Ghezzehei, Simone Giertz, Evangelos G. Hatzigiannakis, Rainer Horn, Juan José Jiménez, Diederik Jacques, Saskia Deborah Keesstra, Hamid Kelishadi, Mahboobeh Kiani-Harchegani, Mehdi Kouselou, Madan Kumar Jha, Laurent Lassabatere, Xiaoyan Li, Mark A. Liebig, Lubomír Lichner, María Victoria López, Deepesh Machiwal, Dirk Mallants, Micael Stolben Mallmann, Jean Dalmo de Oliveira Marques, Miles R. Marshall, Jan Mertens, Félicien Meunier, Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi, Binayak P. Mohanty, Mansonia Pulido-Moncada, Suzana Montenegro, Renato Morbidelli, David Moret-Fernández, Ali Akbar Moosavi, Mohammad Reza Mosaddeghi, Seyed Bahman Mousavi, Hasan Mozaffari, Kamal Nabiollahi, Mohammad Reza Neyshabouri, Marta Vasconcelos Ottoni, Theophilo Benedicto Ottoni Filho, Mohammad Reza Pahlavan-Rad, Andreas Panagopoulos, Stephan Peth, Pierre-Emmanuel Peyneau, Tommaso Picciafuoco, Jean Poesen, Manuel Pulido, Dalvan José Reinert, Sabine Reinsch, Meisam Rezaei, Francis Parry Roberts, David Robinson, Jesús Rodrigo-Comino, Otto Corrêa Rotunno Filho, Tadaomi Saito, Hideki Suganuma, Carla Saltalippi, Renáta Sándor, Brigitta Schütt, Manuel Seeger, Nasrollah Sepehrnia, Ehsan Sharifi Moghaddam, Manoj Shukla, Shiraki Shutaro, Ricardo Sorando, Ajayi Asishana Stanley, Peter Strauss, Zhongbo Su, Ruhollah Taghizadeh-Mehrjardi, Encarnación Taguas, Wenceslau Geraldes Teixeira, Ali Reza Vaezi, Mehdi Vafakhah, Tomas Vogel, Iris Vogeler, Jana Votrubova, Steffen Werner, Thierry Winarski, Deniz Yilmaz, Michael H. Young, Steffen Zacharias, Yijian Zeng, Ying Zhao, Hong Zhao, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 1237–1263, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1237-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1237-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents and analyzes a global database of soil infiltration data, the SWIG database, for the first time. In total, 5023 infiltration curves were collected across all continents in the SWIG database. These data were either provided and quality checked by the scientists or they were digitized from published articles. We are convinced that the SWIG database will allow for a better parameterization of the infiltration process in land surface models and for testing infiltration models.
Roland Baatz, Pamela L. Sullivan, Li Li, Samantha R. Weintraub, Henry W. Loescher, Michael Mirtl, Peter M. Groffman, Diana H. Wall, Michael Young, Tim White, Hang Wen, Steffen Zacharias, Ingolf Kühn, Jianwu Tang, Jérôme Gaillardet, Isabelle Braud, Alejandro N. Flores, Praveen Kumar, Henry Lin, Teamrat Ghezzehei, Julia Jones, Henry L. Gholz, Harry Vereecken, and Kris Van Looy
Earth Syst. Dynam., 9, 593–609, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-593-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-9-593-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Focusing on the usage of integrated models and in situ Earth observatory networks, three challenges are identified to advance understanding of ESD, in particular to strengthen links between biotic and abiotic, and above- and below-ground processes. We propose developing a model platform for interdisciplinary usage, to formalize current network infrastructure based on complementarities and operational synergies, and to extend the reanalysis concept to the ecosystem and critical zone.
D. R. Harp, A. L. Atchley, S. L. Painter, E. T. Coon, C. J. Wilson, V. E. Romanovsky, and J. C. Rowland
The Cryosphere, 10, 341–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-341-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-341-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates the uncertainty associated with permafrost thaw projections at an intensively monitored site. Permafrost thaw projections are simulated using a thermal hydrology model forced by a worst-case carbon emission scenario. The uncertainties associated with active layer depth, saturation state, thermal regime, and thaw duration are quantified and compared with the effects of climate model uncertainty on permafrost thaw projections.
A. L. Atchley, S. L. Painter, D. R. Harp, E. T. Coon, C. J. Wilson, A. K. Liljedahl, and V. E. Romanovsky
Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 2701–2722, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2701-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2701-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Development and calibration of a process-rich model representation of thaw-depth dynamics in Arctic tundra is presented. Improved understanding of polygonal tundra thermal hydrology processes, of thermal conduction, surface and subsurface saturation and snowpack dynamics is gained by using measured field data to calibrate and refine model structure. The refined model is then used identify future data needs and observational studies.
Related subject area
Discipline: Frozen ground | Subject: Frozen Ground
Seismic physics-based characterization of permafrost sites using surface waves
Three in one: GPS-IR measurements of ground surface elevation changes, soil moisture, and snow depth at a permafrost site in the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Surface temperatures and their influence on the permafrost thermal regime in high-Arctic rock walls on Svalbard
Consequences of permafrost degradation for Arctic infrastructure – bridging the model gap between regional and engineering scales
Passive seismic recording of cryoseisms in Adventdalen, Svalbard
Projecting circum-Arctic excess-ground-ice melt with a sub-grid representation in the Community Land Model
Ground ice, organic carbon and soluble cations in tundra permafrost soils and sediments near a Laurentide ice divide in the Slave Geological Province, Northwest Territories, Canada
The ERA5-Land soil temperature bias in permafrost regions
Brief Communication: The reliability of gas extraction techniques for analysing CH4 and N2O compositions in gas trapped in permafrost ice wedges
Geochemical signatures of pingo ice and its origin in Grøndalen, west Spitsbergen
Mountain permafrost degradation documented through a network of permanent electrical resistivity tomography sites
Permafrost variability over the Northern Hemisphere based on the MERRA-2 reanalysis
Distinguishing ice-rich and ice-poor permafrost to map ground temperatures and ground ice occurrence in the Swiss Alps
New ground ice maps for Canada using a paleogeographic modelling approach
Origin, burial and preservation of late Pleistocene-age glacier ice in Arctic permafrost (Bylot Island, NU, Canada)
Characteristics and fate of isolated permafrost patches in coastal Labrador, Canada
Rock glaciers in Daxue Shan, south-eastern Tibetan Plateau: an inventory, their distribution, and their environmental controls
Hongwei Liu, Pooneh Maghoul, and Ahmed Shalaby
The Cryosphere Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-219, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2021-219, 2021
Revised manuscript accepted for TC
Short summary
Short summary
The knowledge of physical and mechanical properties of permafrost and its location is critical for the management of permafrost-related geohazards. Here, we developed a hybrid inverse and multi-phase poromechanical approach to quantitatively estimate the physical and mechanical properties of a permafrost site. Our study demonstrates the potential of surface wave techniques coupled with our proposed data-processing algorithm to characterize a permafrost site more accurately.
Jiahua Zhang, Lin Liu, Lei Su, and Tao Che
The Cryosphere, 15, 3021–3033, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3021-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3021-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We improve the commonly used GPS-IR algorithm for estimating surface soil moisture in permafrost areas, which does not consider the bias introduced by seasonal surface vertical movement. We propose a three-in-one framework to integrate the GPS-IR observations of surface elevation changes, soil moisture, and snow depth at one site and illustrate it by using a GPS site in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. This study is the first to use GPS-IR to measure environmental variables in the Tibetan Plateau.
Juditha Undine Schmidt, Bernd Etzelmüller, Thomas Vikhamar Schuler, Florence Magnin, Julia Boike, Moritz Langer, and Sebastian Westermann
The Cryosphere, 15, 2491–2509, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2491-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2491-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents rock surface temperatures (RSTs) of steep high-Arctic rock walls on Svalbard from 2016 to 2020. The field data show that coastal cliffs are characterized by warmer RSTs than inland locations during winter seasons. By running model simulations, we analyze factors leading to that effect, calculate the surface energy balance and simulate different future scenarios. Both field data and model results can contribute to a further understanding of RST in high-Arctic rock walls.
Thomas Schneider von Deimling, Hanna Lee, Thomas Ingeman-Nielsen, Sebastian Westermann, Vladimir Romanovsky, Scott Lamoureux, Donald A. Walker, Sarah Chadburn, Erin Trochim, Lei Cai, Jan Nitzbon, Stephan Jacobi, and Moritz Langer
The Cryosphere, 15, 2451–2471, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2451-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2451-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Climate warming puts infrastructure built on permafrost at risk of failure. There is a growing need for appropriate model-based risk assessments. Here we present a modelling study and show an exemplary case of how a gravel road in a cold permafrost environment in Alaska might suffer from degrading permafrost under a scenario of intense climate warming. We use this case study to discuss the broader-scale applicability of our model for simulating future Arctic infrastructure failure.
Rowan Romeyn, Alfred Hanssen, Bent Ole Ruud, Helene Meling Stemland, and Tor Arne Johansen
The Cryosphere, 15, 283–302, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-283-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-283-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
A series of unusual ground motion signatures were identified in geophone recordings at a frost polygon site in Adventdalen on Svalbard. By analysing where the ground motion originated in time and space, we are able to classify them as cryoseisms, also known as frost quakes, a ground-cracking phenomenon that occurs as a result of freezing processes. The waves travelling through the ground produced by these frost quakes also allow us to measure the structure of the permafrost in the near surface.
Lei Cai, Hanna Lee, Kjetil Schanke Aas, and Sebastian Westermann
The Cryosphere, 14, 4611–4626, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4611-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4611-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
A sub-grid representation of excess ground ice in the Community Land Model (CLM) is developed as novel progress in modeling permafrost thaw and its impacts under the warming climate. The modeled permafrost degradation with sub-grid excess ice follows the pathway that continuous permafrost transforms into discontinuous permafrost before it disappears, including surface subsidence and talik formation, which are highly permafrost-relevant landscape changes excluded from most land models.
Rupesh Subedi, Steven V. Kokelj, and Stephan Gruber
The Cryosphere, 14, 4341–4364, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4341-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4341-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost beneath tundra near Lac de Gras (Northwest Territories, Canada) contains more ice and less organic carbon than shown in global compilations. Excess-ice content of 20–60 %, likely remnant Laurentide basal ice, is found in upland till. This study is based on 24 boreholes up to 10 m deep. Findings highlight geology and glacial legacy as determinants of a mosaic of permafrost characteristics with potential for thaw subsidence up to several metres in some locations.
Bin Cao, Stephan Gruber, Donghai Zheng, and Xin Li
The Cryosphere, 14, 2581–2595, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2581-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2581-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study reports that ERA5-Land (ERA5L) soil temperature bias in permafrost regions correlates with the bias in air temperature and with maximum snow height. While global reanalyses are important drivers for permafrost study, ERA5L soil data are not well suited for directly informing permafrost research decision making due to their warm bias in winter. To address this, future soil temperature products in reanalyses will require permafrost-specific alterations to their land surface models.
Ji-Woong Yang, Jinho Ahn, Go Iwahana, Sangyoung Han, Kyungmin Kim, and Alexander Fedorov
The Cryosphere, 14, 1311–1324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1311-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1311-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Thawing permafrost may lead to decomposition of soil carbon and nitrogen and emission of greenhouse gases. Thus, methane and nitrous oxide compositions in ground ice may provide information on their production mechanisms in permafrost. We test conventional wet and dry extraction methods. We find that both methods extract gas from the easily extractable parts of the ice and yield similar results for mixing ratios. However, both techniques are unable to fully extract gas from the ice.
Nikita Demidov, Sebastian Wetterich, Sergey Verkulich, Aleksey Ekaykin, Hanno Meyer, Mikhail Anisimov, Lutz Schirrmeister, Vasily Demidov, and Andrew J. Hodson
The Cryosphere, 13, 3155–3169, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3155-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3155-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
As Norwegian geologist Liestøl (1996) recognised,
in connection with formation of pingos there are a great many unsolved questions. Drillings and temperature measurements through the pingo mound and also through the surrounding permafrost are needed before the problems can be better understood. To shed light on pingo formation here we present the results of first drilling of pingo on Spitsbergen together with results of detailed hydrochemical and stable-isotope studies of massive-ice samples.
Coline Mollaret, Christin Hilbich, Cécile Pellet, Adrian Flores-Orozco, Reynald Delaloye, and Christian Hauck
The Cryosphere, 13, 2557–2578, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2557-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2557-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We present a long-term multisite electrical resistivity tomography monitoring network (more than 1000 datasets recorded from six mountain permafrost sites). Despite harsh and remote measurement conditions, the datasets are of good quality and show consistent spatio-temporal variations yielding significant added value to point-scale borehole information. Observed long-term trends are similar for all permafrost sites, showing ongoing permafrost thaw and ground ice loss due to climatic conditions.
Jing Tao, Randal D. Koster, Rolf H. Reichle, Barton A. Forman, Yuan Xue, Richard H. Chen, and Mahta Moghaddam
The Cryosphere, 13, 2087–2110, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2087-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2087-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The active layer thickness (ALT) in middle-to-high northern latitudes from 1980 to 2017 was produced at 81 km2 resolution by a global land surface model (NASA's CLSM) with forcing fields from a reanalysis data set, MERRA-2. The simulated permafrost distribution and ALTs agree reasonably well with an observation-based map and in situ measurements, respectively. The accumulated above-freezing air temperature and maximum snow water equivalent explain most of the year-to-year variability of ALT.
Robert Kenner, Jeannette Noetzli, Martin Hoelzle, Hugo Raetzo, and Marcia Phillips
The Cryosphere, 13, 1925–1941, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1925-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1925-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
A new permafrost mapping method distinguishes between ice-poor and ice-rich permafrost. The approach was tested for the entire Swiss Alps and highlights the dominating influence of the factors elevation and solar radiation on the distribution of ice-poor permafrost. Our method enabled the indication of mean annual ground temperatures and the cartographic representation of permafrost-free belts, which are bounded above by ice-poor permafrost and below by permafrost-containing excess ice.
H. Brendan O'Neill, Stephen A. Wolfe, and Caroline Duchesne
The Cryosphere, 13, 753–773, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-753-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-753-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we present new models to depict ground ice in permafrost in Canada, incorporating knowledge from recent studies. The model outputs we present reproduce observed regional ground ice conditions and are generally comparable with previous mapping. However, our results are more detailed and more accurately reflect ground ice conditions in many regions. The new mapping is an important step toward understanding terrain response to permafrost degradation in Canada.
Stephanie Coulombe, Daniel Fortier, Denis Lacelle, Mikhail Kanevskiy, and Yuri Shur
The Cryosphere, 13, 97–111, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-97-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-97-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides a detailed description of relict glacier ice preserved in the permafrost of Bylot Island (Nunavut). We demonstrate that the 18O composition (-34.0 0.4 ‰) of the ice is consistent with the late Pleistocene age ice in the Barnes Ice Cap. As most of the glaciated Arctic landscapes are still strongly determined by their glacial legacy, the melting of these large ice bodies could have significant impacts on permafrost geosystem landscape dynamics and ecosystems.
Robert G. Way, Antoni G. Lewkowicz, and Yu Zhang
The Cryosphere, 12, 2667–2688, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2667-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2667-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Isolated patches of permafrost in southeast Labrador are among the southernmost lowland permafrost features in Canada. Local characteristics at six sites were investigated from Cartwright, NL (~ 54° N) to Blanc-Sablon, QC (~ 51° N). Annual ground temperatures varied from −0.7 °C to −2.3 °C with permafrost thicknesses of 1.7–12 m. Ground temperatures modelled for two sites showed permafrost disappearing at the southern site by 2060 and persistence beyond 2100 at the northern site only for RCP2.6.
Zeze Ran and Gengnian Liu
The Cryosphere, 12, 2327–2340, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2327-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2327-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This article provides the first rock glacier inventory of Daxue Shan, south- eastern Tibetan Plateau. This study provides important data for exploring the relation between maritime periglacial environments and the development of rock glaciers on the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP). It may also highlight the characteristics typical of rock glaciers found in a maritime setting.
Cited articles
Abolt, C. J., Young, M. H., and Caldwell, T. G.: Numerical modelling of
ice-wedge polygon geomorphic transition, Permafrost Periglac., 28, 347–355,
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1909, 2017.
Allard, M. and Kasper, J. N.: Temperature conditions for ice-wedge cracking:
Field measurements from Salluit, northern Quebec, Proceedings of the Seventh
International Conference on Permafrost, National Research Council of Canada,
5–12, 1998.
Atchley, A. L., Painter, S. L., Harp, D. R., Coon, E. T., Wilson, C. J.,
Liljedahl, A. K., and Romanovsky, V. E.: Using field observations to inform
thermal hydrology models of permafrost dynamics with ATS (v0.83), Geosci.
Model Dev., 8, 2701–2722, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-2701-2015, 2015.
Burn, C. R.: A field perspective on modelling “single-ridge” ice-wedge
polygons, Permafrost Periglac., 15, 59–65, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.475, 2004.
Burn, C. R. and O'Neill, H. B.: Subdivision of ice-wedge polygons, western
Arctic coast, Canadian Geotechnical Society, Quebec, QC, 2015.
Christiansen, H. H.: Thermal regime of ice-wedge cracking in Adventdalen,
Svalbard, Permafrost Periglac., 16, 87–98, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.523, 2005.
Coon, E. T., David Moulton, J., and Painter, S. L.: Managing complexity in
simulations of land surface and near-surface processes, Environ. Model.
Softw., 78, 134–149, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2015.12.017, 2016.
Domine, F., Barrere, M., and Sarrazin, D.: Seasonal evolution of the
effective thermal conductivity of the snow and the soil in high Arctic herb
tundra at Bylot Island, Canada, The Cryosphere, 10, 2573–2588,
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-2573-2016, 2016.
Dostovalov, B. N. and Popov, A. I.: Polygonal systems of ice-wedges and
conditions of their development, Proceedings of the International Conference
on Permafrost, National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council,
71–76, 1966.
Fortier, D. and Allard, M.: Frost-cracking conditions, Bylot Island, eastern
Canadian Arctic archipelago, Permafrost Periglac., 16, 145–161,
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.504, 2005.
Gamon, J. A., Kershaw, G. P., Williamson, S., and Hik, D. S.:
Microtopographic patterns in an arctic baydjarakh field: do fine-grain
patterns enforce landscape stability?, Environ. Res. Lett., 7, 015502,
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/015502, 2012.
Goodrich, L. E.: The influence of snow cover on the ground thermal regime,
Can. Geotech. J., 19, 421–432, 1982.
Harp, D. R., Atchley, A. L., Painter, S. L., Coon, E. T., Wilson, C. J.,
Romanovsky, V. E., and Rowland, J. C.: Effect of soil property uncertainties
on permafrost thaw projections: a calibration-constrained analysis, The
Cryosphere, 10, 341–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-341-2016, 2016.
Isarin, R. F. B.: Permafrost distribution and temperatures in Europe during
the Younger Dryas, Permafrost Periglac., 8, 313–333, 1997.
Jan, A., Coon, E. T., Painter, S. L., Garimella, R., and Moulton, J. D.: An
intermediate-scale model for thermal hydrology in low-relief
permafrost-affected landscapes, Comput. Geosci., 22, 163–177,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10596-017-9679-3, 2018.
Johnson, W. H.: Ice-wedge casts and relict patterned ground in central
Illinois and their environmental significance, Quaternary Res., 33, 51–72,
1990.
Jorgenson, M. T. and Shur, Y.: Evolution of lakes and basins in northern
Alaska and discussion of the thaw lake cycle, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F02S17,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000531, 2007.
Jorgenson, M. T., Shur, Y. L., and Pullman, E. R.: Abrupt increase in
permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2005GL024960, 2006.
Jorgenson, M. T., Kanevskiy, M., Shur, Y., Moskalenko, N., Brown, D. R. N.,
Wickland, K., Striegl, R., and Koch, J.: Role of ground ice dynamics and
ecological feedbacks in recent ice wedge degradation and stabilization, J.
Geophys. Res.-Earth, 120, 2280–2297, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003602, 2015.
Kanevskiy, M., Shur, Y., Jorgenson, M. T., Ping, C. L., Michaelson, G. J.,
Fortier, D., Stephani, E., Dillon, M., and Tumskoy, V.: Ground ice in the
upper permafrost of the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska, Cold Reg. Sci.
Technol., 85, 56–70, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2012.08.002,
2013.
Kokelj, S. V., Pisaric, M. F. J., and Burn, C. R.: Cessation of ice wedge
development during the 20th century in spruce forests of eastern Mackenzie
Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada, Can. J. Earth Sci., 44, 1503–1515,
2007.
Kokelj, S. V., Lantz, T. C., Wolfe, S. A., Kanigan, J. C., Morse, P. D.,
Coutts, R., Molina-Giraldo, N., and Burn, C. R.: Distribution and activity of
ice wedges across the forest-tundra transition, western Arctic Canada, J.
Geophys. Res.-Earth, 119, 2032–2047, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JF003085, 2014.
Lachenbruch, A. H.: Mechanics of thermal contraction cracks and ice-wedge
polygons in permafrost, Special Paper, Geological Society of America, New
York, 1962.
Lachenbruch, A. H.: Contraction theory of ice-wedge polygons: A qualitative
discussion, Proceedings of the International Conference on Permafrost,
National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, 63–70, 1966.
Leffingwell, E. de K.: Ground-ice wedges: The dominant form of ground-ice on
the north coast of Alaska, J. Geol., 23, 635–654, 1915.
Liljedahl, A. K., Hinzman, L. D., and Schulla, J.: Ice-wedge polygon type
controls low-gradient watershed-scale hydrology, Proceedings of the Tenth
International Conference on Permafrost, The Northern Publisher, 2012.
Liljedahl, A. K., Boike, J., Daanen, R. P., Fedorov, A. N., Frost, G. V.,
Grosse, G., Hinzman, L. D., Iijma, Y., Jorgenson, J. C., Matveyeva, N.,
Necsoiu, M., Raynolds, M. K., Romanovsky, V. E., Schulla, J., Tape, K. D.,
Walker, D. A., Wilson, C. J., Yabuki, H., and Zona, D.: Pan-Arctic ice-wedge
degradation in warming permafrost and its influence on tundra hydrology, Nat.
Geosci., 9, 312–318, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2674, 2016.
Mackay, J. R.: The direction of ice-wedge cracking in permafrost: downward or
upward?, Can. J. Earth Sci., 21, 516–524, 1984.
Mackay, J. R.: Some observations on the growth and deformation of epigenetic,
syngenetic, and anti-syngenetic ice wedges, Permafrost Periglac., 1, 15–29,
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.3430010104, 1990.
Mackay, J. R.: Air temperature, snow cover, creep of frozen ground, and the
time of ice-wedge cracking, western Arctic coast, Can. J. Earth Sci., 30,
1720–1729, 1993.
Mackay, J. R.: Ice wedges on hillslopes and landform evolution in the late
Quaternary, western Arctic coast, Canada, Can. J. Earth Sci., 32, 1093–1105,
https://doi.org/10.1139/e04-031, 1995.
Mackay, J. R.: Thermally induced movements in ice-wedge polygons, western
arctic coast: a long-term study, Geogr. Phys. Quatern., 54, 41–68,
https://doi.org/10.7202/004846ar, 2000.
Mackay, J. R. and MacKay, D. K.: Snow cover and ground temperatures, Garry
Island, NWT, Arctic, 287–296, 1974.
Morse, P. D. and Burn, C. R.: Field observations of syngenetic ice wedge
polygons, outer Mackenzie Delta, western Arctic coast, Canada, J. Geophys.
Res.-Earth, 118, 1320–1332, https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrf.20086, 2013.
Morse, P. D. and Burn, C. R.: Perennial frost blisters of the outer Mackenzie
Delta, western Arctic coast, Canada, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 39, 200–213,
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3439, 2014.
Moulton, D., Buksas, M., Pritchett-Sheats, L., Day, M., Berndt, M.,
Garimella, R., Hammond, G., and Meza, J.: High-level design of Amanzi, the
multi-process high performance computing simulator, United States Department
of Energy, 2011.
O'Neill, H. B. and Christiansen, H. H.: Detection of ice wedge cracking in
permafrost using miniature accelerometers, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 123,
642–657, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JF004343, 2018.
Osterkamp, T. E. and Romanovsky, V. E.: Characteristics of Changing
Permafrost Temperatures in the Alaskan Arctic, USA, Arctic and Alpine
Research, 28, 267–273, https://doi.org/10.2307/1552105, 1996.
Painter, S. L., Coon, E. T., Atchley, A. L., Berndt, M., Garimella, R.,
Moulton, J. D., Svyatskiy, D., and Wilson, C. J.: Integrated
surface/subsurface permafrost thermal hydrology: Model formulation and
proof-of-concept simulations, Water Resour. Res., 52, 6062–6077,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR018427, 2016.
Plug, L. and Werner, B.: Nonlinear dynamics of ice-wedge networks and
resulting sensitivity to severe cooling events, Nature, 417, 929–933,
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature00797, 2002.
Raynolds, M. K., Walker, D. A., Ambrosius, K. J., Brown, J., Everett, K. R.,
Kanevskiy, M., Kofinas, G. P., Romanovsky, V. E., Shur, Y., and Webber, P.
J.: Cumulative geoecological effects of 62 years of infrastructure and
climate change in ice-rich permafrost landscapes, Prudhoe Bay Oilfield,
Alaska, Glob. Change Biol., 20, 1211–1224, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12500, 2014.
Riche, F. and Schneebeli, M.: Thermal conductivity of snow measured by three
independent methods and anisotropy considerations, The Cryosphere, 7,
217–227, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-217-2013, 2013.
Rodell, M., Houser, P. R., Jambor, U., Gottschalck, J., Mitchell, K., Meng,
C.-J., Arsenault, K., Cosgrove, B., Radakovich, J., Bosilovich, M., Entin, J.
K., Walker, J. P., Lohmann, D., and Toll, D.: The Global Land Data
Assimilation System, B. Am. Meteorol. Soc., 85, 381–394,
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-85-3-381, 2004.
Romanovsky, V., Kholodov, A., Cable, W., Cohen, L., Panda, S., Muskett, R.,
Marchenko, S., Yoshikawa, K., and Nicolsky, D.: Network of Permafrost
Observatories in North America: Temperature in deep boreholes, Arctic Data
Center, data set, https://doi.org/10.18739/A26R78, 2009.
Root, J. D.: Ice-wedge polygons, Tuktoyaktuk area, NWT, Paper, Geological
Survey of Canada, 1975.
Schuh, C., Frampton, A., and Christiansen, H. H.: Soil moisture
redistribution and its effect on inter-annual active layer temperature and
thickness variations in a dry loess terrace in Adventdalen, Svalbard, The
Cryosphere, 11, 635–651, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-635-2017, 2017.
Sjoberg, Y., Coon, E. T., Sannel, A. B. K., Pannetier, R., Harp, D.,
Frampton, A., Painter, S. L., and Lyon, S. W.: Thermal effects of groundwater
flow through subarctic fens: A case study based on field observations and
numerical modeling, Water Resour. Res., 52, 1591–1606,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR017571, 2016.
Wainwright, H. M., Dafflon, B., Smith, L. J., Hahn, M. S., Curtis, J. B., Wu,
Y., Ulrich, C., Peterson, J. E., Torn, M. S., and Hubbard, S. S.: Identifying
multiscale zonation and assessing the relative importance of polygon
geomorphology on carbon fluxes in an Arctic tundra ecosystem, J. Geophys.
Res.-Biogeo., 120, 788–808, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002799, 2015.
Wainwright, H. M., Liljedahl, A. K., Dafflon, B., Ulrich, C., Peterson, J.
E., Gusmeroli, A., and Hubbard, S. S.: Mapping snow depth within a tundra
ecosystem using multiscale observations and Bayesian methods, The Cryosphere,
11, 857–875, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-857-2017, 2017.
Walker, D. A., Webber, P. J., Binnian, E. F., Everett, K. R., Lederer, N. D.,
Nordstrand, E. A., and Walker, M. D.: Cumulative impacts of oil fields on
northern Alaskan landscapes, Science, 238, 757–761, 1987.
Walters, J. C.: Ice-wedge casts and relict patterned-ground in northeast
Iowa, USA, Permafrost Periglac., 5, 269–281, 1994.
Watanabe, T., Matsuoka, N., Christiansen, H. H., and Cable, S.: Soil physical
and environmental conditions controlling patterned ground variability at a
continuous permafrost site, Svalbard, Permafrost Periglac., 28, 433–445,
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1924, 2017.
Wind, G. P.: Capillary conductivity data estimated by a simple method, in
Water in the unsaturated zone: Proceedings of the Wageningen Symposium,
International Association of Scientific Hydrology, 1, 181–191, 1969.
Yang, D., Goodison, B. E., Ishida, S., and Benson, C. S.: Adjustment of daily
precipitation data at 10 climate stations in Alaska: Application of World
Meteorological Organization intercomparison results, Water Resour. Res., 34,
241–256, 1998.
Short summary
We investigate the relationship between ice wedge polygon topography and near-surface ground temperature using a combination of field work and numerical modeling. We analyze a year-long record of ground temperature across a low-centered polygon, then demonstrate that lower rims and deeper troughs promote warmer conditions in the ice wedge in winter. This finding implies that ice wedge cracking and growth, which are driven by cold conditions, can be impeded by rim erosion or trough subsidence.
We investigate the relationship between ice wedge polygon topography and near-surface ground...
