Collaborative Research: Effects of the Aggradation and Degradation of Ground Ice on the Evolution of Permafrost-Dominated Landscapes Under a Changing Climate

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Funds are provided to study the effects of ice aggradation and degradation on terrain evolution by: (1) investigating the crucial interactions of the active layer, upper permafrost and other components of ecosystems at 10 primary study sites in arctic and subarctic Alaska, (2) evaluating the modes of permafrost degradation as they relate to ground ice structures, (3) quantifying the variety, extent and rate of permafrost degradation across northern and central Alaska based on photointepretation of thermokarst at a large number (~500) of systematically distributed sampling points, (4) relating these changes to the local climatic geothermal histories, and (5) integrating this information into conceptual models of how permafrost-dominated landscapes will evolve in response to climate warming. Key to accomplishing these objectives will be the recognition of the intermediate layer of permafrost as an integral part of arctic ecosystems and that better knowledge of the linkage between the surface and permafrost is necessary for reliable prediction of how permafrost terrain will evolve in the future.The observed rapid warming of many regions of the Arctic is resulting in similarly rapid changes in the permafrost with dramatic negative consequences for societal infrastructure, e.g. roads, building foundations, pipelines. Strategic planning for the further development of these regions requires an understanding of permafrost evolution such as this project is designed to provide.