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Influences and interactions of inundation, peat, and snow on active layer thickness

Journal Article · · Geophysical Research Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068550· OSTI ID:1260075
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos New Mexico USA
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division

The effect of three environmental conditions: 1) thickness of organic soil, 2) snow depth, and 3) soil moisture content or water table height above and below the soil surface, on active layer thickness (ALT) are investigated using an ensemble of 1D thermal hydrology models. Sensitivity analyses of the ensemble exposed the isolated influence of each environmental condition on ALT and their multivariate interactions. The primary and interactive influences are illustrated in the form of color maps of ALT change. Results show that organic layer acts as a strong insulator, and its thickness is the dominant control of ALT, but the strength of the effect of organic layer thickness is dependent on the saturation state. Snow depth, subsurface saturation, and ponded water depth are strongly codependent and positively correlated to ALT.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1260075
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1304711
Journal Information:
Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 43; ISSN 0094-8276
Publisher:
American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (17)

The Influence of Shallow Taliks on Permafrost Thaw and Active Layer Dynamics in Subarctic Canada journal February 2018
Hydrometeorological measurements in peatland‐dominated, discontinuous permafrost at Scotty Creek, Northwest Territories, Canada journal June 2019
Controls on permafrost thaw in a coupled groundwater-flow and heat-transport system: Iqaluit Airport, Nunavut, Canada journal December 2016
Coupled cryo-hydrogeological modelling of permafrost dynamics near Umiujaq (Nunavik, Canada) journal February 2020
Soil Physical, Hydraulic, and Thermal Properties in Interior Alaska, USA: Implications for Hydrologic Response to Thawing Permafrost Conditions journal May 2019
Taliks: A Tipping Point in Discontinuous Permafrost Degradation in Peatlands journal November 2019
Feedbacks Between Surface Deformation and Permafrost Degradation in Ice Wedge Polygons, Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska journal March 2020
Mechanistic Modeling of Microtopographic Impacts on CO 2 and CH 4 Fluxes in an Alaskan Tundra Ecosystem Using the CLM‐Microbe Model journal December 2019
Modeling the role of preferential snow accumulation in through talik development and hillslope groundwater flow in a transitional permafrost landscape journal October 2018
Permafrost thaw induced drying of wetlands at Scotty Creek, NWT, Canada journal October 2018
Semi-automated calibration method for modelling of mountain permafrost evolution in Switzerland text January 2016
Effects of bryophyte and lichen cover on permafrost soil temperature at large scale journal January 2016
Semi-automated calibration method for modelling of mountain permafrost evolution in Switzerland journal January 2016
Microtopographic control on the ground thermal regime in ice wedge polygons journal January 2018
New insights into the environmental factors controlling the ground thermal regime across the Northern Hemisphere: a comparison between permafrost and non-permafrost areas journal January 2019
Effects of bryophyte and lichen cover on permafrost soil temperature at large scale posted_content February 2016
Semi-automated calibration method for modelling of mountain permafrost evolution in Switzerland posted_content September 2015