Annual dynamics within the active layer

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5379986· OSTI ID:5379986

We have continued our meteorological and hydrologic data collection in support of our process-oriented research. The six years of data collected to date is unique in its scope and continuity in a North Hemisphere Arctic setting. This valuable data base has allowed us to further our understanding of the interconnections and interactions between the atmosphere/hydrosphere/biosphere/lithosphere. The increased understanding of the heat and mass transfer processes has allowed us to increase our model-oriented research efforts. Examples of applications are the following. (1) Spring snowmelt on the North Slope of Alaska is the dominant hydrologic event of the year. This event provides most of the moisture for use by vegetation in the spring and early summer period. The mechanisms and timing of snowmelt are important factors in predicting runoff, the migrations of birds and large mammals and the diversity of plant communities. It is important globally due to the radical and abrupt change in the surface energy balance over vast areas. (2) We were able to explore the trends and differences in the snowmelt process along a transect from the Brooks Range to the Arctic Coastal plain. Snowpack ablation was monitored at three sites. These data were analyzed along with meteorologic data at each site. The initiation of ablation was site specific being largely controlled by the complementary addition of energy from radiation and sensible heat flux.

• Research Organization: Alaska Univ., Fairbanks, AK (United States). Water Research Center
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG06-84ER60247
• OSTI ID: 5379986
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60247-T1; ON: DE92013520
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540250* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (1990-)
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
ABLATION
ALASKA
ARCTIC REGIONS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CLIMATE MODELS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
COMPILED DATA
DATA
DATA BASE MANAGEMENT
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY BALANCE
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVAPORATION
FLOW MODELS
GLACIERS
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL
HYDROLOGY
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METEOROLOGY
MONTHLY VARIATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PARTICLE MODELS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
POLAR REGIONS
PROGRESS REPORT
RUNOFF
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SNOW
SOILS
STATISTICAL MODELS
THERMODYNAMIC MODEL
TRANSPIRATION
USA
VARIATIONS
WATERSHEDS