Articles | Volume 20, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-265-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-265-2026
Research article
 | 
16 Jan 2026
Research article |  | 16 Jan 2026

Characterizing near-surface permafrost in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, using Electrical Resistivity Tomography and Ground Penetrating Radar

Valentina Ekimova, MacKenzie A. Nelson, Taylor Sullivan, Thomas A. Douglas, Howard E. Epstein, and Matthew G. Jull

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Permafrost beneath Arctic communities is highly sensitive to surface heat and moisture. Geophysics at four UtqiaÄ¡vik (Alaska) sites shows that infrastructure – buildings, roads, snow fences – reshapes snow and drainage, redirecting heat and water. Thaw deepens near disturbed ground, while undisturbed, vegetated terrain stays shallower or heaves. Local land use and surface conditions can outweigh regional climate signals, guiding design, maintenance, and risk planning for Arctic infrastructure.
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