Regional Conference on Permafrost 2021 and the 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering
Long-Term (2000–2017) Response of Lake-Bottom Temperatures and Talik Configuration to Changes in Climate at Two Adjacent Tundra Lakes, Western Arctic Coast, Canada
Publication: Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
ABSTRACT
Lakes, commonly underlain by taliks, are principal agents of disturbance to permafrost. We have measured lake-bottom temperatures with submerged loggers on near-shore terraces and in deep central pools at two tundra lakes on Richards Island, NT, to determine inter-annual lake thermal responses to climate variation. We have modelled associated potential adjustments in talik geometry. In 2000–17, annual mean temperatures varied between -5.7 and 2.8°C for terraces and 1.1 and 4.5°C for pools. Permafrost in the terraces is warmer than surrounding the lakes: talik configuration varies with horizontal terrace extent and terrace and pool temperatures. The talik break-through depth declines as terrace size increases. Using the four warmest and coldest years as an analogue for climate change—an adjustment that may occur this century—the increase in talik depth may be up to 100 m, but it may take millennia for talik geometry to reach equilibrium.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The field observations in this paper were supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Polar Continental Shelf Project, Natural Resources Canada, and the Aurora Research Institute. The skilled pilots of Canadian Helicopters and Gwich’in Helicopters contributed significantly to field operations. Excellent field assistance from Todd Randall and Andrew Burn is commemorated through the informal lake names. We thank Antoni Lewkowicz for helpful comments and Brendan O’Neill for cartography and comments on this paper.
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Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
Pages: 1 - 13
Editor: Jon Zufelt, Ph.D., HDR Alaska
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8358-9
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Oct 21, 2021
Published in print: Oct 21, 2021
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