Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost
Permafrost peatlands are hydrological and biogeochemical hotspots in the discontinuous permafrost zone. Non-intrusive geophysical methods offer a possibility to map current permafrost spatial distributions in these environments. In this study, we estimate the depths to the permafrost table and base...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2015-03-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/465/2015/tc-9-465-2015.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818563796654882816 |
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| author | Y. Sjöberg P. Marklund R. Pettersson S. W. Lyon |
| author_facet | Y. Sjöberg P. Marklund R. Pettersson S. W. Lyon |
| author_sort | Y. Sjöberg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Permafrost peatlands are hydrological and biogeochemical hotspots in the
discontinuous permafrost zone. Non-intrusive geophysical methods offer a
possibility to map current permafrost spatial distributions in these
environments. In this study, we estimate the depths to the permafrost table
and base across a peatland in northern Sweden, using ground penetrating
radar and electrical resistivity tomography. Seasonal thaw frost tables (at
~0.5 m depth), taliks (2.1–6.7 m deep), and the permafrost
base (at ~16 m depth) could be detected. Higher occurrences
of taliks were discovered at locations with a lower relative height of
permafrost landforms, which is indicative of lower ground ice content at these
locations. These results highlight the added value of combining geophysical
techniques for assessing spatial distributions of permafrost within the
rapidly changing sporadic permafrost zone. For example, based on a
back-of-the-envelope calculation for the site considered here, we estimated
that the permafrost could thaw completely within the next 3
centuries. Thus there is a clear need to benchmark current permafrost
distributions and characteristics, particularly in under studied regions of
the pan-Arctic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:21:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-00753ac803244851ad955d412058cc8e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:21:03Z |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-00753ac803244851ad955d412058cc8e2022-12-21T23:22:23ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242015-03-019246547810.5194/tc-9-465-2015Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrostY. Sjöberg0P. Marklund1R. Pettersson2S. W. Lyon3Department of Physical Geography and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SwedenDepartment of Physical Geography and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SwedenPermafrost peatlands are hydrological and biogeochemical hotspots in the discontinuous permafrost zone. Non-intrusive geophysical methods offer a possibility to map current permafrost spatial distributions in these environments. In this study, we estimate the depths to the permafrost table and base across a peatland in northern Sweden, using ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography. Seasonal thaw frost tables (at ~0.5 m depth), taliks (2.1–6.7 m deep), and the permafrost base (at ~16 m depth) could be detected. Higher occurrences of taliks were discovered at locations with a lower relative height of permafrost landforms, which is indicative of lower ground ice content at these locations. These results highlight the added value of combining geophysical techniques for assessing spatial distributions of permafrost within the rapidly changing sporadic permafrost zone. For example, based on a back-of-the-envelope calculation for the site considered here, we estimated that the permafrost could thaw completely within the next 3 centuries. Thus there is a clear need to benchmark current permafrost distributions and characteristics, particularly in under studied regions of the pan-Arctic.http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/465/2015/tc-9-465-2015.pdf |
| spellingShingle | Y. Sjöberg P. Marklund R. Pettersson S. W. Lyon Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost The Cryosphere |
| title | Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost |
| title_full | Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost |
| title_fullStr | Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost |
| title_short | Geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost |
| title_sort | geophysical mapping of palsa peatland permafrost |
| url | http://www.the-cryosphere.net/9/465/2015/tc-9-465-2015.pdf |
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