Collaborative Research: Preliminary Investigation of Paleoenvironment, Processes, and Carbon Stocks of Drained Thaw-Lake Basins, Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska

阿拉斯加北坡的冻土带上覆盖着大量的融化盆地湖泊，这些湖泊是通过泥炭形成储存碳的主要场所。这项为期三年的合作研究将根据高分辨率卫星数据评估巴罗和阿特卡苏克（阿拉斯加）附近冻土带湖泊的总体覆盖范围。利用探地雷达对30个湖泊进行详细的现场检查，以确定湖泊下泥炭和土壤的厚度和分布。将收集沉积物岩心以检查雷达数据的有效性。同时，将根据土壤组成、微化石鉴定、花粉分析等措施对岩心内地层进行详细检查。在4个详细的岩心中，将通过放射性碳定年法确定各个地层的年龄。这些结果将使研究人员能够评估这30个湖泊的碳储存和泥炭形成历史。将单个湖泊与通过卫星数据评估的区域湖泊分布结合起来，就可以估计出泥炭的区域积累历史。因此，这项研究可能会产生关于阿拉斯加冻土带碳储存和泥炭形成的有价值的信息。

Tundra on the north slope of Alaska is covered with a large number of thaw-basin lakes which are the primary site of carbon storage via peat formation. This three-year collaborative study will evaluate the overall coverage by lakes of the tundra near Barrow and Atqasuk (Alaska) based on high resolution satellite data. Detailed on-site examination of thirty lakes will be done using ground penetrating radar to determine the thickness and distribution of peat and soil under the lakes. Sediment cores will be collected to check the validity of the radar data. Also, detailed examination of strata within the cores will be made based on soil composition, microfossil identification, pollen analysis and other measures. In 4 detailed cores, the ages of the various strata will be determined by radiocarbon dating. These results will allow the investigators to assess the carbon storage and peat formation history in the thirty lakes. The regional history of peat accumulation may be estimated when the individual lakes are put in context of the regional lake distribution assessed via satellite data. Consequently, this study may yield valuable information about carbon storage and peat formation in the Alaskan tundra.