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Evaporation dominates evapotranspiration on Alaska’s Arctic Coastal Plain

Journal Article · · Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [4];  [6]
  1. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States). School of Natural Resources and Extension
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States). International Arctic Research Center
  4. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  5. Univ. of Bristol (United Kingdom). Dept. of Civil Engineering
  6. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
The dynamics of evapotranspiration (ET), such as the partitioning to evaporation and transpiration, of polygonal ground on the Arctic Coastal Plain are not well understood. We assessed ET dynamics, including evaporation and transpiration partitioning, created by microtopographic features associated with high- and low-centered polygons. Chamber ET and leaf-level transpiration measurements were conducted in one-week field campaigns in two growing seasons with contrasting weather conditions. We found that ET was greater in the drier and warmer sampling period (2013) compared to the colder and wetter one (2014). Evaporation dominated ET, particularly in the wetter and colder sampling period (>90% in 2014 vs. 80% in 2013). In the 2013 sampling period, wetter and warmer conditions increased ET and the contribution of transpiration to ET. If the soils warm with degrading permafrost, ET and the fraction contributed by transpiration may increase to a certain threshold, when moisture must increase with rising temperatures to further increase these fluxes. While the fraction of transpiration may rise with warmer soils, it is unlikely that transpiration will completely dominate ET. This work highlights the complexities of understanding ET in this dynamic environment and the importance of understanding differences across polygonal ground.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF) (United States); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); USDOE Office of Science (SC). Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001; AC05-00OR22725; SC0006913
OSTI ID:
1474716
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1484658
OSTI ID: 1490699
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-26200
Journal Information:
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Journal Name: Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 50; ISSN 1523-0430
Publisher:
Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (3)

Reviews and syntheses: Turning the challenges of partitioning ecosystem evaporation and transpiration into opportunities text January 2019
Reviews and syntheses: Turning the challenges of partitioning ecosystem evaporation and transpiration into opportunities journal January 2019
Reviews and syntheses: Turning the challenges of partitioning ecosystem evaporation and transpiration into opportunities text January 2019

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Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
Earth Sciences
evapotranspiration partitioning
ice wedge
permafrost
plant functional type
polygonal ground