Brief communication: Decadal changes in topography, surface water and subsurface structure across an Arctic coastal tundra site
Abstract. In ice-rich polygonal tundra, spatiotemporal heterogeneity in ground-ice melt reshapes topography, impacting infrastructure, water and carbon cycles. This study evaluates changes in topography and subsurface structure at a coastal Arctic site by comparing data from two surveys conducted a decade apart. Each survey includes electrical resistivity tomography, active layer thickness, photogrammetry, and topographic data. Results reveal subsidence and decrease in permafrost table elevation with varying intensity and spatial distribution across polygons, alongside diverse thermal-hydrological responses, such as thermokarst pool formation in high-centered-polygons and more even subsidence in flat-centered-polygons. The study also underscores the value and limitations of sporadic surveys.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23), Climate and Environmental Sciences Division (SC-23.1 )
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 3005802
- Journal Information:
- The Cryosphere, Journal Name: The Cryosphere Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 19
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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