㻪㻖㻐㻲㻔
G3–O1

GROUND THERMAL REGIME AND ACTIVE LAYER THICKNESSMONITORING AND MODELLING IN THE NORDIC AREA
B. Etzelmüller1, H. H. Christiansen2, K. Gisnås1, K. Isaksen3, T.V. Schuler1, S.
Westermann1
1

Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

2

The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, Norway

3

Norwegian Meteorological Institute, Research and Development Department, Oslo,

NorwayCorresponding author: bernde@geo.uio.noSince 2001 numerous shallow boreholes were equipped to monitor groundtemperatures in the Nordic area, especially in Norway, Svalbard and Iceland. The total
number of monitored boreholes is 42, of which 4 are located in Iceland, 20 in southern
Norway, 16 in northern Norway and 12 in Svalbard. Most of these boreholes in northern
Norway and Svalbard were established during the IPY campaign 2007-2009. They are
set up to characterize the ground thermal regime in different environmental settings
along altitudinal and continental transects, and to validate spatially distributed,
equilibrium and transient permafrost models. Also as an important and integrative part of
the IPY activities the Norwegian permafrost database, NORPERM was established.
Most of the Norwegian permafrost data are today archived in the database, which islocated at the Norwegian Geological Survey (NGU).
Permafrost data were used to calibrate a transient heat flow model for altogether
29 of our sites all over the study area. The model was forced with meteorological dataover various time periods, ranging from the beginning of the instrumental data record at
the end of the 18th century to down-scaled projections of climate scenarios for the future(2100). The results illustrate the potential evolution of permafrost conditions and the
response to climate perturbations in sub-arctic mountains and high-arctic environments.
Also the data were used to validate numerical spatial permafrost models for Norway.
Here we present the updated permafrost thermal state as observed in theborehole network, along with modeled ground temperature and active layer thickness(ALT) development since the end of the Little Ice Age and their potential future evolution.
Also new spatial permafrost maps based on equilibrium and transient thermal modelingfor the Nordic area will be presented.

㻖㻚㻪㻖㻐㻲㻕G3–O2

PERMAFROST AND ACTIVELAYER MONITORINGNETWORK IN ALASKAN COMMUNITIESYoshikawa, K.1, Harada. K. 2, Iwahana, Go. 1, and Khalilova, J.3
1

Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering
University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755860 Fairbanks Alaska 99775-5860

2

Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Food, Agricultural andEnvironmental Sciences, Miyagi University, Sendai Japan

3

Geocryology laboratory, Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience, Russian
Academy of Sciences, Moscow Russia

kyoshikawa@alaska.edu
The presence or absence of frozen ground has a strong effect on hydrology.
Frozen soil acting as an impermeable layer affects water availability to rootsystems of plants and the recharge of groundwater reservoirs. The frost tube
(active layer monitoring) program has been a great success in Alaskancommunities because it is relatively easy to implement, is cost-efficient, and is ahighly dynamic student activity. We have installed over 200 communities for asmall one-channel data logger connected to an ground temperature sensor next
to the frost tube. From the ground surface temperature data, freezing °C*days(freezing index) and thawing degree-days (thawing index) as well as mean annual
temperature can be calculated. This program reveals much of the thermal
structure of ground in Alaska, especially in many of the remote communities on
the southern boundary of permafrost (i.e., the northern end of the seasonal frost
region). Though there are many interesting aspects to this program, here we
discuss (1) the distribution of the maximum freezing and thawing layer thickness,and (2) freezing and thawing °C*days ground surface distribution in Alaska.

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G3–O3

THERMAL STATES OF MONGOLIAN PERMAFROST AND
DEPLYOYING PERMAFROST OBSERVATORIES OVER THE
ARCTIC
M.Ishikawa1,2, K.Yoshikawa3, Y.Jambaljav4, N.Sharkhuu4, I.Yamahashi1,
S.Westermann5, B. Etzelmüller5, M.N.Zheleznyak6, S. Laxton7
1

Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

2

Japan Agency of Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan

3

University of Alaska, Fairbanks, USA

4

Institute of Geography, MAS, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

5

University of Oslo, Norway

6

Melnikov Permafrost Institute RAS, Yakutsk, Russia

7

Yukon Geological Survey, Canada

mishi@ees.hokudai.ac.jp
Permafrost has been degrading over large areas of the world, although thewarming rates show large spatial variations. Hence, it is important to organize andsustain to monitor the long-term thermal state of permafrost in various natural
settings. We have been improving permafrost network over Mongolia, establishing
new boreholes and recovering boreholes abandoned in the past. Currently
available datasets showed that warming rate ranges between 0.01 and 0.03°C/a,
and is more pronounced in the northern provinces with continuous permafrost.
Permafrost partly disappeared at the southern boundary of the discontinuous
permafrost in recent 30 years. Beside these country-scaled dynamics, strong
influences of local geographic variations on permafrost temperatures could beobserved. Cold permafrost occurs beneath topographic depressions, within
ice-rich soils, and under forested slopes. Further applications of these boreholedata are to develop high resolution permafrost map and to model future
distribution of permafrost.
The permafrost dynamics over Mongolia would be the epitome of those inglobe, since they involve the features of continuous, discontinuous, sporadic andmountain permafrost even in a small areas. Under the umbrella of GRENE andinternational collaborations, we are deploying permafrost observatories in Siberia
and Canada where the spatial density of permafrost network is currently sparse.

㻖㻜㻪㻖㻐㻲㻗G3–O4

PERMAFROST MAP IN RUSSIA USINGCOMMUNITY-BASED PERMAFROST AND ACTIVE LAYERMONITORING NETWORK
Khalilova, Y.1, Sergeev, D.1, Yoshikawa, K.2
1

Geocryology laboratory, Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience, RAS,

Ulansky pereulok 13, building 2, P.O.Box 145, 101000 Moscow, Russia
2

Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering

University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755860 Fairbanks Alaska 99775-5860
Stanilovskaya@geoenv.ru

In 2008, an approach to mapping permafrost based on thermal conditions wasintroduced during the Ninth International Conference on Permafrost (Jorgensen etal., 2008). This approach maps permafrost distribution using the annual mean air
temperature model (PRISM) and surficial geology (the GIS platform). A thermal
offset or gap occurs between air and ground surface temperatures mainly becauseof snow cover or other thermal effects. Use of the annual mean groundtemperature model instead of air temperature will produce better results. Ourcommunity-based permafrost and active layer monitoring network measuresground temperature year-round at hundreds of locations. These data are useful for
calibration or verification of the new model. The original objective of thisnetwork was to establish long-term permafrost monitoring sites near communities
and schools so that students and teachers could be involved in installation of themonitoring equipment and data gathering. Permafrost condition is an important
indicator of climate change, since permafrost is directly influenced by climate.
Permafrost affects local ecosystems and hydrological regimes, and is a factor innatural disasters related to ground stability. Once we develop a station, data are
available to the public for science, engineering, and education purposes. An
important project related to the permafrost monitoring stations is the
mapping/modeling of permafrost. Our community-based monitoring system willcontribute to the production of a more-accurate permafrost map. With improved
mapping/modeling in mind, we plan to finish the Alaska permafrost map, thendevelop the same method in Russia as in Alaska by establishing monitoring
stations in Sakha Republic and other parts of Russia. To begin with, however, we
will focus on establishing this network over the next several years.

㻗㻓㻪㻖㻐㻲㻘
G3–O5

Cancelled

PARAMETRIZATION OF RUNOFF FORMATION MECHANISMS IN MOUNTAINOUS
PERMAFROST CONDITIONS OF RUSSIA AND CANADA (THE KOLYMA WATERBALANCE STATION AND WOLF CREEK RESEARCH WATERSHED)
Olga Semenova1,2,3, Lyudmila Lebedeva4,2,3
1
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+\GURJUDSK0RGHO5HVHDUFK*URXS
6WDWH+\GURORJLFDO,QVWLWXWH1DQVHQ&HQWUH
6W3HWHUVEXUJ5XVVLDRPDNDULHYD#JPDLOFRP
The parameterization of process-based hydrological models reflects natural conditionsof runoff formation processes and should be developed and tested on the basis ofdetailed and long-term measurements at research watersheds. Very limited number ofsuch catchments exists in the permafrost zone.
The aim of the study was the development of parameterization schemes describing
mountainous territories of Russian Northern East and Canadian part of the Yukon Riverbasin for the purposes of hydrological modelling.
The study included the following steps: i) comparative analysis of flow formation
processes in two research watersheds of Russia and Canada at slope and catchment
scales ii) deriving soil and vegetation parameters by additional sources of informationand modelling experiments at slope scale iii) transferring the parameters from slope tocatchment scale and performing runoff simulations iiii) analysis of the results andconclusion about workability and limitations of developed parameterization scheme.
Two research watersheds, the Kontaktovy Creek and the Wolf Creek basins (21.2 and195 km2 respectively) were studied. Although both of them are covered by permafrost
and relate to the zone of mountainous taiga and tundra, they have significant
differences in runoff formation mechanisms.
The Kontaktovy Creek basin is characterized by continuous permafrost while in the Wolf
Creek basin permafrost occupies only northern slopes and headwaters. It leads to
predominance of surface and shallow subsurface flow formed in active layer at the
Kontaktovy Creek watershed, while the underground flow dominates in the Wolf Creekbasin. At both watersheds different slopes show specific thermal and water regime due
to difference in solar radiation income and dominant landscapes.
Observable land cover properties were derived from literature review and used as themodel parameters to simulate soil thaw/freeze depths, soil moisture and temperature,snow accumulation and melting.
Soil and vegetation parameters were initially refined at slope scale on the base ofmultiple modelling experiments and then transferred to the watershed scale withoutchange. Good agreement between observed and simulated runoff confirmed theeffectiveness of the parameterization.
The Hydrograph model applied to both watersheds at slope and catchments scales is aprocess-based hydrological model. It adequately describes land hydrological cycle
based on standard daily input information. Sufficient algorithm of water and heat
dynamics in the soil enables to use this model in various condition of permafrost.
We propose that gained parameterization scheme and the Hydrograph model can beapplied to ungauged and poorly gauged basins at the Yukon River in Canada and theUpper Kolyma River in Russia.
㻗㻔㻪㻖㻐㻲㻙
G3–O6

TEMPORAL SEQUENCING OF ANNUAL SPRING RUNOFFIN FOUR MAJOR ARCTIC-DRAINING RIVERS
Ahmed, R.1,

Prowse, T.D.1,2,

Dibike, Y.B.2, Bonsal, B.R.3

1

Water and Climate Impacts Research Centre, University of Victoria, Victoria,

Canada.
2

Water and Climate Impacts Research Centre, Environment Canada, Victoria,

Canada.
3

National Hydrology Research Centre, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, Canada.

Corresponding author email: roxannea@uvic.ca
Warming in the Arctic has significance as an indicator of global climatechange and through feedbacks to the global climate system.

The influx offreshwater to the Arctic Ocean has the potential to influence global climate
through modification of the intensity of the thermohaline circulation. Thisemphasizes the importance of understanding climate-discharge linkages in
Arctic-draining rivers, which are the dominant source of freshwater input to the
Arctic Ocean. To date, no research has evaluated trends in the magnitude andsequential timing of the spring freshets – the dominant hydrologic event occurringon these nival river systems – or of the atmospheric circulation patterns that
control them. To address these shortcomings, historic daily discharge data fromselected hydrometric stations within the four largest Arctic-draining watersheds(Mackenzie, Ob, Lena, Yenisei) have been analyzed to extract data about thetiming, magnitude and characteristic shapes of the spring freshet hydrographs.
Discussion of results focus on: the temporal sequencing of spring discharge atstations draining directly to the Arctic Ocean along the Mackenzie, Ob, Lena, andYenisei rivers; the discharge linkages with controlling patterns of temperature andprecipitation; and the major atmospheric teleconnection patterns associated withextreme high and low flow years.

㻗㻕㻪㻖㻐㻲㻚
G3–O7

ICE MOVEMENT IN THE LENA RIVER AND THE TYPOLOGY OF
SPRING FLOOD: AN INTERPRETATION OF LOCAL SOURCESINTEGRATED WITH SATELLITE IMAGERY USING A
MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
Hiroki Takakura1, Yasuhiro Yoshikawa2, Manabu Watanabe3, Toru Sakai4, Tetsuya
Hiyama4
1
Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku Univerisity, Kawauchi 41, Aobaku, Sendai,
980-8576, Japan, hrk@m.tohoku.ac.jp
2
Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Region, Hiragishi 1-3-1-34, Toyohiraku,
Sapporo, 062-8602, Japan, yoshikawa84@gmail.com
3
Earth Observation Research Center, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, 2-1-1
Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8505 Japan, watanabe.manabu@jaxa.jp
4Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kitaku, Kyoto,603-8047, Japan, torus@chikyu.ac.jp, hiyama@chikyu.ac.jp
Spring flooding of northern rivers in both Arctic and sub-arctic regions is a regular seasonal
event. As snow and ice thaw, floating freshwater ice appears in the rivers and flooding
occurs, which is critical for the regional ecosystem and for water circulation. Theoretically,
climate change should have some effect on this phenomenon, but due to regionalvariations and the complex interplay of elements, scientific data on how the climate isaltering the freshwater ice process is still unclear. At the same time, since the spring river ice
process and flooding have definite effects on human societies, these are now becoming
issues of focus and urgency for social scientists and disaster management policymakers.
From the human-dimension perspective, river ice is an important regional infrastructure
because it is used for major winter transportation and local subsistence activities.
Understanding the process of river ice breaking and consequent flooding is important forinterdisciplinary area studies because they are closely related to local societal-technologicalaspects and the regional environment. This paper explores the concrete process of springflooding through a case study of the Lena River in eastern Siberia. Recently, the frequency
of disastrous spring flooding has increased in this region. Although a decisive explanation is
not yet available, the local government is urgently demanding adequate policies andmeasures. In what conditions does the process of spring flooding develop in the Lena
River? We will describe concrete processes such as ice movement and velocity, the locusof the flooding outbreak, and the disastrous results. The method of analysis is aninterpretative approach using multi-disciplinary data from satellite imagery, literature sources,
and fieldwork. At the same time as Landsat or large scale resolution images of flooding
from a bird’s-eye view provides the general outlook, the information of ice monitoring andflood reporting from local newspapers will be visualized using GIS software (Google Earth),and ALOS satellite or high resolution imagery of a particular flooding event is interpreted
based on anthropological field data. Through these means, we identify several types offlooding and examine their implications for human societies.

㻗㻖㻪㻖㻐㻲㻛
G3–O8

WATER BALANCE OF ARCTIC WETLANDS WITH
DIFFERING ICE WEDGE POLYGON TYPE
Anna K. Liljedahl1,2,Ronald P. Daanen1,

Cathy J. Wilson3, Jörg Schulla4,

Larry D. Hinzman2
1

Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks

2

International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks

3

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos

4

Hydrologic Software Consultant, Zurich

akliljedahl@alaska.edu

Ice wedge polygons are common in landscapes underlain bypermafrost. Still, their role on watershed-scale hydrology is constrained. We
combined field measurements with mass and heat transfer modeling to assess
the effect of ice wedge polygon type on landscape-scale hydrologic fluxes andstores. The physically-based model WaSiM was applied to airborne LiDAR
and schematic DEMs, and forced by climate data from an Arctic wetland,
Barrow, Alaska. Simulations and field measurements were concentrated tofour sites, i.e. landscape types: high-centered, low-centered, and two
transition polygon sites (the latter having both low-centers and troughs). Model
simulations suggest that low-centered polygons, through elevated rims,
reduce runoff while increasing evapotranspiration and water storage. The
high-centeredpolygonlandscapefavorsrunoff,while

storageandevapotranspiration drastically decrease. Continuous field measurements inneighboring, individual ice wedge polygons presents drastically different
seasonal variability in water tables between study sites, despite the samelandscape-scale end-of-winter snowpack water storage. It is evident from thefield and modeling analyses that microtopography plays an important role on
low-gradient Arctic wetland watershed-scale hydrology. Further, the finemicrotopographical variability results in hydrologic characteristics that canpresent important geomorphological feedbacks. A shift in ice wedge polygon
type could potentially dominate the initial effects of altered climate on Arctic
wetland hydrology.

㻗㻗㻪㻖㻐㻲㻜
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G3–O10ICE COVER OF EURASIAN LAKES AND INLAND SEAS
FROM SATELLITE AND IN SITU OBSERVATIONS
A. V. Kouraev1,2, M.N. Shimaraev3, F. Rémy1,4, M.A. Naumenko5,,A. Suknev61) Universite de Toulouse; UPS (OMP-PCA), LEGOS, Toulouse, France2) State Oceanography Institute, St. Petersburg branch, Russia
3) Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of RAS, Irkutsk, Russia ,4) CNRS; LEGOS, F-31400 Toulouse, France,5) Limnology Institute of the RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia,6) Great Baikal Trail Buryatiya, Ulan-Ude, Russia
Because of its response to regional and global variations in the climate
system, arctic and sub-arctic lakes and internal seas are not only an integrator ofclimate processes, but also strong indicator of existing or potential change. It is
important to well understand what are temporal and spatial scales of variability ofnatural parameters, what are teleconnections, feedbacks and mechanisms
responsible for the changes, what are natural and anthropogenic causes ofrecent and historical changes in the hydrophysical and meteorologicalparameters. Changes in natural parameters are important for human activity(navigation, transport, fisheries, tourism etc) and affect large population living
around.
We present studies of ice and snow cover of continental water bodies
using the synergy of more than 15 years-long simultaneous active (radar
altimeter) and passive (radiometer) observations from radar altimetric satellites(TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, ENVISAT and Geosat Follow-On) complemented by
SSM/I passive microwave data. Five largest Eurasian continental water bodies Caspian and Aral seas, Baikal, Ladoga and Onega lakes are selected as
examples. An ice discrimination approach based on a combined use of the data
is presented, as well as validation of this approach using in situ and independent
satellite data in the visible range. We then analyse the long-term evolution of ice
conditions for these lakes and inland seas using historical data and recent
satellite observations. We also present our results of the field studies on thelakes Ladoga and Baikal.
We address another interesting phenomenon - formation of giant rings on
Baikal Lake ice. These rings (diameter 5-7 km, thickness of dark layer - 1 - 1.8km) have almost perfect circular shape. The rings have been observed since theearly 1970ies by satellite imagery in various regions of the lake. We present
several existing hypotheses of the origin of these rings and discuss strengths andweaknesses of each hypothesis. We present observation of the formation,
development and disappearance of these rings using various satellite data. We
discuss the conditions needed to create and maintain these rings, the timing ofand duration of their existence, as well as horizontal and vertical structure of ice
and snow cover and of temperature and conductivity before and during theappearance of rings.
This research has been done in the framework of the Russian-Frenchcooperation GDRI "CAR-WET-SIB", French CNES TOSCA AO, CNRS-Russia
PICS BALALAIKA, Russian FZP 1.5 and FP7 "MONARCH-A" projects.

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