Abstract
Summary The thermal regime in the moist surficial peat layer of a paisa, measured during a clear and calm July day in arctic Alaska, indicates that coupled heat and water flow retard ablation of the ice core. A simulation model of coupled-flow effects was constructed using rough estimates of meteorological boundary conditions and material properties. The model indicates that ablation is inhibited by advection of cold water above the ice/peat interface, and by internal evaporation near the surface. Evaporation also limits thermal maxima near the surface; because the ratio of the heat of evaporation to the heat of fusion is approximately 7.5, the coupled-flow regime effectively retards ablation of the palsa's ice core.
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