The circumpolar active layer monitoring (calm) program: Research designs and initial results1

Abstract

The Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) program, designed to observe the response of the active layer and near‐surface permafrost to climate change, currently incorporates more than 100 sites involving 15 investigating countries in both hemispheres. In general, the active layer responds consistently to forcing by air temperature on an interannual basis. The relatively few long‐term data sets available from northern high‐latitude sites demonstrate substantial interannual and interdecadal fluctuations. Increased thaw penetration, thaw subsidence, and development of thermokarst are observed at some sites, indicating degradation of warmer permafrost. During the mid‐ to late‐1990s, sites in Alaska and northwestern Canada experienced maximum thaw depth in 1998 and a minimum in 2000; these values are consistent with the warmest and coolest summers. The CALM network is part of the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN‐P). GTN‐P observations consist of both the active layer measurements and the permafrost thermal state measured in boreholes. The CALM program requires additional multi‐decadal observations. Sites in the Antarctic and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere are presently being added to the bipolar network.