Active layer thickness and ground temperatures during 1991-2008 at permafrost sites in northern North America

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Main Authors: Smith, S L, Romanovsky, Vladimir E, Lewkowicz, Antoni G, Burn, C R, Allard, Maël, Clow, Gary D, Yoshikawa, Kenji, Throop, J
Format: Dataset Open Access
Language:en
Published: PANGAEA 2010
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author Smith, S L
Romanovsky, Vladimir E
Lewkowicz, Antoni G
Burn, C R
Allard, Maël
Clow, Gary D
Yoshikawa, Kenji
Throop, J
author_facet Smith, S L
Romanovsky, Vladimir E
Lewkowicz, Antoni G
Burn, C R
Allard, Maël
Clow, Gary D
Yoshikawa, Kenji
Throop, J
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents A snapshot of the thermal state of permafrost in northern North America during the International Polar Year (IPY) was developed using ground temperature data collected from 350 boreholes. More than half these were established during IPY to enhance the network in sparsely monitored regions. The measurement sites span a diverse range of ecoclimatic and geological conditions across the continent and are at various elevations within the Cordillera. The ground temperatures within the discontinuous permafrost zone are generally above -3°C, and range down to - 15°C in the continuous zone. Ground temperature envelopes vary according to substrate, with shallow depths of zero annual amplitude for peat and mineral soils, and much greater depths for bedrock. New monitoring sites in the mountains of southern and central Yukon suggest that permafrost may be limited in extent. In concert with regional air temperatures, permafrost has generally been warming across North America for the past several decades, as indicated by measurements from the western Arctic since the 1970s and from parts of eastern Canada since the early 1990s. The rates of ground warming have been variable, but are generally greater north of the treeline. Latent heat effects in the southern discontinuous zone dominate the permafrost thermal regime close to 0°C and allow permafrost to persist under a warming climate. Consequently, the spatial diversity of permafrost thermal conditions is decreasing over time.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_837173
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2010
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Active layer thickness and ground temperatures during 1991-2008 at permafrost sites in northern North America
Smith, S L
Romanovsky, Vladimir E
Lewkowicz, Antoni G
Burn, C R
Allard, Maël
Clow, Gary D
Yoshikawa, Kenji
Throop, J
International Polar Year (2007-2008); IPY
A snapshot of the thermal state of permafrost in northern North America during the International Polar Year (IPY) was developed using ground temperature data collected from 350 boreholes. More than half these were established during IPY to enhance the network in sparsely monitored regions. The measurement sites span a diverse range of ecoclimatic and geological conditions across the continent and are at various elevations within the Cordillera. The ground temperatures within the discontinuous permafrost zone are generally above -3°C, and range down to - 15°C in the continuous zone. Ground temperature envelopes vary according to substrate, with shallow depths of zero annual amplitude for peat and mineral soils, and much greater depths for bedrock. New monitoring sites in the mountains of southern and central Yukon suggest that permafrost may be limited in extent. In concert with regional air temperatures, permafrost has generally been warming across North America for the past several decades, as indicated by measurements from the western Arctic since the 1970s and from parts of eastern Canada since the early 1990s. The rates of ground warming have been variable, but are generally greater north of the treeline. Latent heat effects in the southern discontinuous zone dominate the permafrost thermal regime close to 0°C and allow permafrost to persist under a warming climate. Consequently, the spatial diversity of permafrost thermal conditions is decreasing over time.
title Active layer thickness and ground temperatures during 1991-2008 at permafrost sites in northern North America
topic International Polar Year (2007-2008); IPY
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.837173