Microtopographic and depth controls on active layer chemistry in Arctic polygonal ground
Abstract
Abstract Polygonal ground is a signature characteristic of Arctic lowlands, and carbon release from permafrost thaw can alter feedbacks to Arctic ecosystems and climate. This study describes the first comprehensive spatial examination of active layer biogeochemistry that extends across high‐ and low‐centered, ice wedge polygons, their features, and with depth. Water chemistry measurements of 54 analytes were made on surface and active layer pore waters collected near Barrow, Alaska, USA. Significant differences were observed between high‐ and low‐centered polygons suggesting that polygon types may be useful for landscape‐scale geochemical classification. However, differences were found for polygon features (centers and troughs) for analytes that were not significant for polygon type, suggesting that finer‐scale features affect biogeochemistry differently from polygon types. Depth variations were also significant, demonstrating important multidimensional aspects of polygonal ground biogeochemistry. These results have major implications for understanding how polygonal ground ecosystems function, and how they may respond to future change.
- Authors:
-
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Earth and Environmental Sciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Biosciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Earth Sciences Division
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1265383
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1402215
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Geophysical Research Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 42; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0094-8276
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Arctic; Geochemistry; Soil Water chemistry; Permafrost; Polygonal Ground; Active Layer
Citation Formats
Newman, Brent D., Throckmorton, Heather M., Graham, David E., Gu, Baohua, Hubbard, Susan S., Liang, Liyuan, Wu, Yuxin, Heikoop, J. M., Herndon, Elizabeth M., Phelps, Tommy J., Wilson, Cathy, and Wullschleger, Stan D. Microtopographic and depth controls on active layer chemistry in Arctic polygonal ground. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1002/2014GL062804.
Newman, Brent D., Throckmorton, Heather M., Graham, David E., Gu, Baohua, Hubbard, Susan S., Liang, Liyuan, Wu, Yuxin, Heikoop, J. M., Herndon, Elizabeth M., Phelps, Tommy J., Wilson, Cathy, & Wullschleger, Stan D. Microtopographic and depth controls on active layer chemistry in Arctic polygonal ground. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062804
Newman, Brent D., Throckmorton, Heather M., Graham, David E., Gu, Baohua, Hubbard, Susan S., Liang, Liyuan, Wu, Yuxin, Heikoop, J. M., Herndon, Elizabeth M., Phelps, Tommy J., Wilson, Cathy, and Wullschleger, Stan D. Tue .
"Microtopographic and depth controls on active layer chemistry in Arctic polygonal ground". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014GL062804. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1265383.
@article{osti_1265383,
title = {Microtopographic and depth controls on active layer chemistry in Arctic polygonal ground},
author = {Newman, Brent D. and Throckmorton, Heather M. and Graham, David E. and Gu, Baohua and Hubbard, Susan S. and Liang, Liyuan and Wu, Yuxin and Heikoop, J. M. and Herndon, Elizabeth M. and Phelps, Tommy J. and Wilson, Cathy and Wullschleger, Stan D.},
abstractNote = {Abstract Polygonal ground is a signature characteristic of Arctic lowlands, and carbon release from permafrost thaw can alter feedbacks to Arctic ecosystems and climate. This study describes the first comprehensive spatial examination of active layer biogeochemistry that extends across high‐ and low‐centered, ice wedge polygons, their features, and with depth. Water chemistry measurements of 54 analytes were made on surface and active layer pore waters collected near Barrow, Alaska, USA. Significant differences were observed between high‐ and low‐centered polygons suggesting that polygon types may be useful for landscape‐scale geochemical classification. However, differences were found for polygon features (centers and troughs) for analytes that were not significant for polygon type, suggesting that finer‐scale features affect biogeochemistry differently from polygon types. Depth variations were also significant, demonstrating important multidimensional aspects of polygonal ground biogeochemistry. These results have major implications for understanding how polygonal ground ecosystems function, and how they may respond to future change.},
doi = {10.1002/2014GL062804},
journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
number = 6,
volume = 42,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue Mar 24 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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