Articles | Volume 16, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1247-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1247-2022
Research article
 | 
08 Apr 2022
Research article |  | 08 Apr 2022

A new Stefan equation to characterize the evolution of thermokarst lake and talik geometry

Noriaki Ohara, Benjamin M. Jones, Andrew D. Parsekian, Kenneth M. Hinkel, Katsu Yamatani, Mikhail Kanevskiy, Rodrigo C. Rangel, Amy L. Breen, and Helena Bergstedt

Data sets

Arctic lake transient electromagnetic (TEM) soundings 2016–2017 A. D. Parsekian, A. L. Creighton, B. M. Jones, A. Bondurant, and C. D. Arp https://doi.org/10.18739/A20K35

Floating and bedfast lake ice regimes across Arctic 25 Alaska using space-borne SAR imagery from 1992–2016 M. Engram https://doi.org/10.18739/A2CJ87K8H

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Short summary
New variational principle suggests that a semi-ellipsoid talik shape (3D Stefan equation) is optimum for incoming energy. However, the lake bathymetry tends to be less ellipsoidal due to the ice-rich layers near the surface. Wind wave erosion is likely responsible for the elongation of lakes, while thaw subsidence slows the wave effect and stabilizes the thermokarst lakes. The derived 3D Stefan equation was compared to the field-observed talik thickness data using geophysical methods.