An official website of the United States government
This project is part of Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) which addresses converging scientific challenges in the rapidly changing Arctic. Specifically, the goal of this project is to better understand ice-rich permafrost at local, regional, and circumpolar scales. This dataset provides ground temperature data in the active layer and near-surface permafrost to provide a baseline for assessing the future changes in the near-surface temperatures in the natural environment and next to the infrastructure/disturbed environment at Utqiagvik, Alaska. Collected ground temperature data are intended to help researchers, communities and public with ongoing activities to mitigate a threat of thawing permafrost on the local and regional scale, and to provide spatial data for validation of climate scenario models and temperature reanalysis approaches.
more »
« less
A new ice-rich-permafrost-system observatory, Prudhoe Bay Oilfield, Alaska: landscape evolution on ice-rich calcareous fluvial, eolian, and lacustrine deposits
Long-term permafrost observatories are needed to document and monitor rapid changes to ice-rich permafrost systems (IRPS) in a variety of geological, climatic, and infrastructure settings. As part of the US National Science Foundation’s Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) Program, a new observatory was established near the Deadhorse Airport in the eastern part of the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield (PBO) in 2020–23. The NNA-IRPS project has three main research themes: (1) evolution of and degradation of ground ice within the major surficial-geology units; (2) rapid changes in permafrost, landforms, and vegetation due to infrastructure and climate change; and (3) ecological landscapes associated with the calcareous fluvial deposits of the Central Arctic Coastal Plain.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1928237
- PAR ID:
- 10537683
- Publisher / Repository:
- NSF PAR
- Date Published:
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- ice-rich permafrost permafrost degradation arctic prudhoe bay landscape evolution tundra vegetation observatory
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
This project is part of Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) which addresses converging scientific challenges in the rapidly changing Arctic. Specifically, the goal of this project is to better understand ice-rich permafrost at local, regional, and circumpolar scales. This dataset provides ground temperature data in the active layer and near-surface permafrost to provide a baseline for assessing the future changes in the near-surface temperatures in the natural environment and next to the infrastructure/disturbed environment at Utqiagvik, Point Lay, and Wainwright in Alaska. Collected ground temperature data are intended to help researchers, communities and public with ongoing activities to mitigate a threat of thawing permafrost on the local and regional scale, and to provide spatial data for validation of climate scenario models and temperature reanalysis approaches. Update: Filename nomenclature has been changed from US_PIP_### to US_UTQ_### in order to separate different site location data.more » « less
-
Environmental impact assessments for new Arctic infrastructure do not adequately consider the likely long-term cumulative effects of climate change and infrastructure to landforms and vegetation in areas with ice-rich permafrost, due in part to lack of long-term environmental studies that monitor changes after the infrastructure is built. This case study examines long-term (1949–2020) climate- and road-related changes in a network of ice-wedge polygons, Prudhoe Bay Oilfield, Alaska. We studied four trajectories of change along a heavily traveled road and a relatively remote site. During 20 years prior to the oilfield development, the climate and landscapes changed very little. During 50 years after development, climate-related changes included increased numbers of thermokarst ponds, changes to ice-wedge-polygon morphology, snow distribution, thaw depths, dominant vegetation types, and shrub abundance. Road dust strongly affected plant-community structure and composition, particularly small forbs, mosses, and lichens. Flooding increased permafrost degradation, polygon center-trough elevation contrasts, and vegetation productivity. It was not possible to isolate infrastructure impacts from climate impacts, but the combined datasets provide unique insights into the rate and extent of ecological disturbances associated with infrastructure-affected landscapes under decades of climate warming. We conclude with recommendations for future cumulative impact assessments in areas with ice-rich permafrost.more » « less
-
Abstract. Rapid Arctic climate warming, amplified relative to lower-latitude regions, has led to permafrost thaw and associated thermokarst processes. Recent work has shown permafrost is a rich source of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) that can initiate ice formation in supercooled liquid clouds. Since the phase of Arctic clouds strongly affects the surface energy budget, especially over ice-laden surfaces, characterizing INP sources in this region is critical. For the first time, we provide a large-scale survey of potential INP sources in tundra terrain where thermokarst processes are active and relate to INPs in the air. Permafrost, seasonally thawed active layer, ice wedge, vegetation, water, and aerosol samples were collected near Utqiaġvik, Alaska, in late summer and analyzed for their INP contents. Permafrost was confirmed as a rich source of INPs that was enhanced near the coast. Sensitivity to heating revealed differences in INPs from similar sources, such as the permafrost and active layer. Water, vegetation, and ice wedge INPs had the highest heat-labile percentage. The aerosol likely contained a mixture of known and unsurveyed INP types that were inferred as biological. Arctic water bodies were shown to be potential important links of sources to the atmosphere in thermokarst regions. Therefore, a positive relationship found with total organic carbon considering all water bodies gives a mechanism for future parameterization as permafrost continues to thaw and drive regional landscape shifts.more » « less
-
Abstract Permafrost thaw and thermokarst development pose urgent challenges to Arctic communities, threatening infrastructure and essential services. This study examines the reciprocal impacts of permafrost degradation and infrastructure in Point Lay (Kali), Alaska, drawing on field data from ∼60 boreholes, measured and modeled ground temperature records, remote sensing analysis, and community interviews. Field campaigns from 2022–2024 reveal widespread thermokarst development and ground subsidence driven by the thaw of ice-rich permafrost. Borehole analysis confirms excess-ice contents averaging ∼40%, with syngenetic ice wedges extending over 12 m deep. Measured and modeled ground temperature data indicate a warming trend, with increasing mean annual ground temperatures and active layer thickness (ALT). Since 1949, modeled ALTs have generally deepened, with a marked shift toward consistently thicker ALTs in the 21st century. Remote sensing shows ice wedge thermokarst expanded from <5% in 1949 to >60% in developed areas by 2019, with thaw rates increasing tenfold between 1974 and 2019. In contrast, adjacent, undisturbed tundra exhibited more consistent thermokarst expansion (∼0.2% yr−1), underscoring the amplifying role of infrastructure, surface disturbance, and climate change. Community interviews reveal the lived consequences of permafrost degradation, including structural damage to homes, failing utilities, and growing dependence on alternative water and wastewater strategies. Engineering recommendations include deeper pile foundations, targeted ice wedge stabilization, aboveground utilities, enhanced snow management strategies, and improved drainage to mitigate ongoing infrastructure issues. As climate change accelerates permafrost thaw across the Arctic, this study highlights the need for integrated, community-driven adaptation strategies that blend geocryological research, engineering solutions, and local and Indigenous knowledge.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- The DOI is not currently available.
