Frost Table Elevation across a Low-Centered and a High-Centered Polygon, Mapped using Ground Penetrating Radar, Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5440/1575055
NGEE Arctic Record ID: NGA195
Data Version: 1.0
Abstract

Ground Penetrating Radar, active layer thickness point measurements, and ground elevation surveys were conducted on a low-centered and a high-centered polygon in Utqiagvik (Barrow), AK (on October 2nd, 2015) to map frost table topography and evaluate its influence on hydrological flow. Data were collected to improve our understanding of the topography of the permafrost table across polygons which may have a major influence on hydrology. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a 10-year research effort (2012-2022) to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy’s Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM). This dataset contains two csv files and one pdf.

The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.

The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska.

Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

Authors
Baptiste Dafflon (bdafflon@lbl.gov) 0000000198715650
Florian Soom (flosoom@lbl.gov) 0000000342972134
John Peterson (jepeterson@lbl.gov)
Susan Hubbard (sshubbard@lbl.gov) 0000000329665631
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Dataset Citation
Baptiste Dafflon, Florian Soom, John Peterson, Susan Hubbard. 2020. Frost Table Elevation across a Low-Centered and a High-Centered Polygon, Mapped using Ground Penetrating Radar, Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska, 2015. Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments Arctic Data Collection, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. Dataset accessed on [INSERT_DATE] at https://doi.org/10.5440/1575055.
Dates
2015-10-02 - 2015-10-02
Geographic Location
NGEE Arctic Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska
North71.35
South71.2
East-156.4
West-156.7
Place Keywords:
Barrow, Alaska | Utqiagvik, Alaska | Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), Alaska
Subject Keywords:
ground penetrating radar | thaw depth | permafrost table elevation |
GCMD Keywords
N/A
Methodology
Study Site The study site is located east of Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), AK, USA on the Arctic Coastal Plain in the Barrow Environmental Observatory. Climate of this region is characterized by long winters, short summers, with a mean average annual temperature of -10.2 °C and mean annual precipitation of 141.5 mm. Coldest temperatures occur in February with warmest temperatures in July. The thaw season usually begins in June with maximum thaw depth occurring sometime in late August or early September. Freeze up typically begins sometime in September, subsequently leaving the ground completely frozen until June when the next thaw season begins. GPR and Manual Probe Measurements GPR data were collected using a Mala Ramac system with 500 MHz antennas (1) along four ?34-m-long parallel transects crossing the low-centered polygon, and (2) along fifty-one ~15-m-long SE-NW transects spaced 0.25 m apart crossing the high-centered polygon. A wheel odometer was used to acquire traces with a spacing of 0.06 m. Minimal processing of the common offset lines included zero-time adjustment, bandpass filtering, automatic gain control, semi-automated picking of the two-way travel time to the key reflector, and conversion 35 of travel time to depth. The key reflector corresponds to the interface between the thaw layer and the permafrost, as confirmed by the strong relationship between the GPR signal travel time and manual probe-based measurements of thaw layer thickness (correlation coefficient ~ 0.73) collected in the HCP. The relationship has been used to convert the GPR signal travel time to thaw layer thickness. Frost table elevation was obtained by subtracting the GPR-inferred thaw layer thickness from the digital elevation model of the study site. Given the high spatial density of GPR data at the high-center polygon location, a frost table elevation map was obtained through linear interpolation. See Wales et al. (2020) for details.
Related References
Wales, N. A., Gomez-Velez, J. D., Newman, B. D., Wilson, C. J., Dafflon, B., Kneafsey, T. J., Soom, F., and Wullschleger, S. D.: Understanding the Relative Importance of Vertical and Horizontal Flow in Ice-Wedge Polygons, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1–21, 2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1-2020
Related Identifiers
Type: DOI
Relation: IsCitedBy
Metadata Contact
Contact information for the individual or organization that is knowledgeable about the data.
Person: Baptiste Dafflon
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Email: bdafflon@lbl.gov
Point of Contact
Contact information for the individual or organization that is knowledgeable about the data.
Person: Baptiste Dafflon
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Email: bdafflon@lbl.gov
Dataset Usage Rights
Public Datasets

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.

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Distribution Point of Contact
Contact: Data Center Support
Organization: Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE) Arctic Project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Email: support@ngee-arctic.ornl.gov