Observations of the "Thermal Offset" in Near-Surface Mean Annual Ground Temperatures at Several Sites near Mayo, Yukon Territory, Canada

ARCTIC ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.R. Burn ◽  
C.A.S. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ground Temperatures

The thermal regime of a retrogressive thaw slump near Mayo, Yukon Territory

2000 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 967-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
C R Burn
Keyword(s):  
Dominant Mode ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Data Loggers ◽  
Development Data ◽  
Retrogressive Thaw Slump ◽  
Frost Penetration

The development of a retrogressive thaw slump near Mayo, Yukon Territory, has been traced from initiation by bank erosion (~1949) of the Stewart River to stabilization in 1993-1994. The stabilized headwall of the slump is 450 m from the river, and the slope of the slump floor is 3°. A transect of the slump from the river to the stabilized headwall was drilled in July 1995, to determine the extent and rate of permafrost degradation in the slump floor. Thermistors were placed in access tubes to 12 m depth at five sites, four near the transect and one in undisturbed terrain, to determine the magnitude of thermal disturbance due to slump development. Data loggers at the sites recorded the ground temperature at 1 m depth for two years from August 1995. The annual mean ground temperatures measured by the data loggers varied between 1.2° and 1.8°C in the slump, compared with -2.4°C in undisturbed ground, indicating a disturbance of about 4°C due to slumping. The depth of thaw in the slump floor is consistent with the Stefan solution for thawing of permafrost. Conduction is the dominant mode of heat transfer in the slump, where the soil is fine grained and there is almost no organic horizon. Winter ground temperatures at 1 m depth were nearly 6°C warmer in the slump than in the surrounding forest, even though snow depths were similar, due to the release of latent heat during prolonged frost penetration. These data demonstrate the importance of subsurface conditions on near-surface ground temperatures in winter.

Relations between air and surface temperature in discontinuous permafrost terrain near Mayo, Yukon Territory

2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (12) ◽  
pp. 1437-1451 ◽  
Author(s):  
K C Karunaratne ◽  
C R Burn
Keyword(s):  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Absolute Temperature ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Surface Temperatures ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Discontinuous Permafrost ◽  
Data Loggers

The association of site characteristics with the n-factor, a ratio of air to ground surface temperature, was investigated at five sites in the boreal forest near Mayo, Yukon Territory. Permafrost was in equilibrium with surface conditions at three sites, was degrading at another, and was absent from the fifth. Air and near-surface ground temperatures were recorded by data loggers between September 2000 and April 2002, and mean daily temperatures were accumulated to calculate n-factors for the freezing (nf) and thawing (nt) seasons. Air temperature did not vary between the sites, so inter-site differences in nf and nt were because of variations in surface temperature. Variations in nf between the sites over the two winters were primarily because of differences in snow depth, but at sites with similar snow cover, the surface temperatures were relatively high when the site was underlain by unfrozen ground. During summer, daily mean surface temperatures were initially less than air temperatures. However, once the thawing front had penetrated below the depth of diurnal temperature fluctuation, the air and ground surface temperatures converged. Since the rate of thaw penetration is governed by soil thermal diffusivity, nt varies directly with this property. These results indicate that subsurface conditions, particularly absolute temperature and ground thermal properties, exert considerable influence on n-factors, and, at the Mayo sites, the influence is greater than that of the vegetation.

Permafrost, tectonics, and past and future regional climate change, Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories

1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Burn
Keyword(s):  
Northwest Territories ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Gulf Of Alaska ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Late Tertiary

Late Tertiary changes in the general circulation of the atmosphere, regionally enhanced by uplift of the Wrangell – Saint: Elias and Coast mountains, were sufficient to promote permafrost development in the western Arctic. Permafrost developed in Yukon Territory and adjacent Northwest Territories during early Pleistocene glacial periods, after continued tectonic activity led to further modification of regional climate, but degraded in the interglacials. Permafrost has been present in northern parts of the region since the Illinoian glaciation, but most ground ice in central Yukon formed in the Late Wisconsinan. The present interglacial is the only one with widespread evidence of permafrost, which is maintained in the valleys of central and southern Yukon by the Saint Elias Mountains blocking continental penetration of maritime air from the Gulf of Alaska. This reduces snow depth in winter, while cold-air drainage in the dissected terrain of the Yukon Plateaus enhances the near-surface inversion, leading to continental minimum temperatures. General circulation models used to simulate climate represent the physiography of northwest Canada crudely. As a result, the simulations are unable to reproduce conditions responsible for the development and preservation of permafrost in the region.

scholarly journals Microtopographic control on the ground thermal regime in ice wedge polygons

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1957-1968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles J. Abolt ◽  
Michael H. Young ◽  
Adam L. Atchley ◽  
Dylan R. Harp
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Ground Temperature ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Hydrologic Processes ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Winter Temperatures ◽  
Ice Wedge ◽  
Prudhoe Bay

Abstract. The goal of this research is to constrain the influence of ice wedge polygon microtopography on near-surface ground temperatures. Ice wedge polygon microtopography is prone to rapid deformation in a changing climate, and cracking in the ice wedge depends on thermal conditions at the top of the permafrost; therefore, feedbacks between microtopography and ground temperature can shed light on the potential for future ice wedge cracking in the Arctic. We first report on a year of sub-daily ground temperature observations at 5 depths and 9 locations throughout a cluster of low-centered polygons near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, and demonstrate that the rims become the coldest zone of the polygon during winter, due to thinner snowpack. We then calibrate a polygon-scale numerical model of coupled thermal and hydrologic processes against this dataset, achieving an RMSE of less than 1.1 ∘C between observed and simulated ground temperature. Finally, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of the model by systematically manipulating the height of the rims and the depth of the troughs and tracking the effects on ice wedge temperature. The results indicate that winter temperatures in the ice wedge are sensitive to both rim height and trough depth, but more sensitive to rim height. Rims act as preferential outlets of subsurface heat; increasing rim size decreases winter temperatures in the ice wedge. Deeper troughs lead to increased snow entrapment, promoting insulation of the ice wedge. The potential for ice wedge cracking is therefore reduced if rims are destroyed or if troughs subside, due to warmer conditions in the ice wedge. These findings can help explain the origins of secondary ice wedges in modern and ancient polygons. The findings also imply that the potential for re-establishing rims in modern thermokarst-affected terrain will be limited by reduced cracking activity in the ice wedges, even if regional air temperatures stabilize.

scholarly journals Imaging Thermal Anomalies in Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Systems from Near-Surface Geophysical Modelling

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 675 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gomez-Ortiz ◽  
Isabel Blanco-Montenegro ◽  
Jose Arnoso ◽  
Tomas Martin-Crespo ◽  
Mercedes Solla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Penetrating Radar ◽  
Electromagnetic Induction ◽  
Hydrothermal Systems ◽  
Ground Temperature ◽  
Geothermal Systems ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Hot Dry Rock ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Imaging Results ◽  
Ground Penetrating

Convective hydrothermal systems have been extensively studied using electrical and electromagnetic methods given the strong correlation between low conductivity anomalies associated with hydrothermal brines and high temperature areas. However, studies addressing the application of similar geophysical methods to hot dry rock geothermal systems are very limited in the literature. The Timanfaya volcanic area, located on Lanzarote Island (Canary Islands), comprises one of these hot dry rock systems, where ground temperatures ranging from 250 to 605 °C have been recorded in pyroclastic deposits at shallow (<70 m) depths. With the aim of characterizing the geophysical signature of the high ground temperature areas, three different geophysical techniques (ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction and magnetic prospecting) were applied in a well-known geothermal area located inside Timanfaya National Park. The area with the highest ground temperatures was correlated with the location that exhibited strong ground penetrating radar reflections, high resistivity values and low magnetic anomalies. Moreover, the high ground temperature imaging results depicted a shallow, bowl-shaped body that narrowed and deepened vertically to a depth greater than 45 m. The ground penetrating radar survey was repeated three years later and exhibited subtle variations of the signal reflection patterns, or signatures, suggesting a certain temporal variation of the ground temperature. By identifying similar areas with the same geophysical signature, up to four additional geothermal areas were revealed. We conclude that the combined use of ground penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction and magnetic methods constitutes a valuable tool to locate and study both the geometry at depth and seasonal variability of geothermal areas associated with hot dry rock systems.

The structure of a talus-derived rock glacier deduced from its hydrology

1981 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1422-1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Internal Structure ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Flow Structures ◽  
Chemical Characteristics ◽  
Rock Glacier ◽  
Chemical Changes ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Hydrological Parameters ◽  
Physical Evidence

The paper presents the results of an experiment in the use of hydrological parameters to study the internal structure of a rock glacier. The rock glacier selected for the study lies at the head of Grizzly Creek in the southwest Yukon Territory. The hydrological network suggests two independent drainage systems, which demonstrate the occurrence of a planar impervious structure at depth and independent lines of drainage controlled by the flow structures in the near-surface deposits. Chemical changes in the water are inconclusive with respect to the evaluation of ice contents of the landform although the physical evidence strongly suggests no massive ice component. Chemical characteristics of each drainage system are sufficiently different that chemical tests can be used to differentiate sources of the drainage.

Factors influencing permafrost temperatures across tree line in the uplands east of the Mackenzie Delta, 2004–20101This article is one of a series of papers published in this CJES Special Issue on the theme of Fundamental and applied research on permafrost in Canada.2Polar Continental Shelf Contribution 03611.

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (8) ◽  
pp. 877-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.J. Palmer ◽  
C.R. Burn ◽  
S.V. Kokelj
Keyword(s):  
Snow Depth ◽  
Applied Research ◽  
Abrupt Change ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Mackenzie Delta ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Winter Snow ◽  
Shrub Tundra ◽  
Snow Conditions

Air and near-surface ground temperatures, late-winter snow conditions, and characteristics of the vegetation cover and soil were measured across the forest–tundra transition in the uplands east of the Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, in 2004–2010. Mean late-winter snow depth decreased northward from 73 cm in the subarctic boreal forest near Inuvik to 22 cm in low-shrub tundra. Annual near-surface ground temperatures decreased northward by 0.1–0.3 °C/km near the northern limit of trees, in association with an abrupt change in snow depth. The rate decreased to 0.01–0.06 °C/km in the tundra. The freezing season is twice as long as the thawing season in the region, so measured differences in the regional ground thermal regime were dominated by the contrast in winter surface conditions between forest and tundra.

scholarly journals Microtopographic control on the ground thermal regime in ice wedge polygons

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles J. Abolt ◽  
Michael H. Young ◽  
Adam L. Atchley ◽  
Dylan R. Harp
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Change ◽  
Thermal Conditions ◽  
Ground Temperature ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Hydrologic Processes ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Winter Temperatures ◽  
Ice Wedge

Abstract. The goal of this research is to constrain the influence of ice wedge polygon topography on near-surface ground temperatures. Because ice wedge polygon topography is prone to rapid change in a changing climate, and because cracking in the ice wedge depends on thermal conditions at the top of the permafrost, feedbacks between topography and ground temperature can shed light on the potential for future ice wedge cracking in the Arctic. We first report on a year of subdaily ground temperature observations at five depths and nine locations throughout a cluster of low-centered polygons near Prudhoe Bay, AK, and demonstrate that the rims become the coldest zone of the polygon during winter, due to thinner snowpack. We then calibrate a polygon-scale numerical model of coupled thermal and hydrologic processes against this dataset, achieving an RMSE of less than 1.2 °C between observed and simulated ground temperature. Finally, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of the model by systematically manipulating the height of the rims and the depth of the troughs, and tracking the effects on ice wedge temperature. The results indicate that deeper troughs lead to increased snow entrapment, promoting insulation of the ice wedge. Rims act as preferential outlets of subsurface heat; increasing rim size decreases winter temperatures in the ice wedge. The potential for ice wedge cracking is therefore reduced if rims are destroyed or if troughs subside, due to warmer conditions in the ice wedge. These findings can help explain the origins of secondary ice wedges in modern and ancient polygons. The findings also imply that the potential for reestablishing rims in modern thermokarst-affected terrain will be precluded by reduced cracking activity in the ice wedges, even if regional air temperatures stabilize.

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