Measurements Of Active-layer Thickness Research Articles

Quantification of active layer depth at multiple scales in Interior Alaska permafrost

Much of Interior Alaska is underlain by permafrost that has been thawing at an unprecedented rate. Top-down expansion of the seasonally thawed ‘active layer’ and development of thermokarst features are increasing across the landscape. This can be attributed primarily due to a warming climate and disturbances like wildfires which have accelerated summer season permafrost thaw. Quantification of active-layer thickness (ALT) is critical to understanding the response of permafrost terrains to these disturbances. ALT measurements are time consuming, and point based. As a result, there are large uncertainties in ALT estimates at regional/global scales (100 km2 or larger) using field scale (1 m2) measurements as direct inputs for calibrating/validating large scale process-based or statistical/empirical models. Here we developed a framework to link field scale ALT measurements with satellite observations to a regional scale (100 km2) via an intermediary upscaling of field scale ALT to the local scale (1 km2) with fine-resolution airborne hyperspectral and light detection and ranging data, thus leading to a characterization of ALT across space and time at multiple scales. We applied an object-based machine learning ensemble approach to upscale field scale (1 m2) measurements to the local (1 km2) and regional scale (100 km2) and achieved encouraging results across three permafrost experimental sites in Interior Alaska that represent a variety of terrain types. Our study demonstrates that generating local scale data products is an effective approach to bridge the gap with field scale measurements and regional scale estimations as it seeks to reduce upscaling uncertainty.

Maps of active layer thickness in northern Alaska by upscaling P-band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar retrievals

Extensive, detailed information on the spatial distribution of active layer thickness (ALT) in northern Alaska and how it evolves over time could greatly aid efforts to assess the effects of climate change on the region and also help to quantify greenhouse gas emissions generated due to permafrost thaw. For this reason, we have been developing high-resolution maps of ALT throughout northern Alaska. The maps are produced by upscaling from high-resolution swaths of estimated ALT retrieved from airborne P-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images collected for three different years. The upscaling was accomplished by using hundreds of thousands of randomly selected samples from the SAR-derived swaths of ALT to train a machine learning regression algorithm supported by numerous spatial data layers. In order to validate the maps, thousands of randomly selected samples of SAR-derived ALT were excluded from the training in order to serve as validation pixels; error performance calculations relative to these samples yielded root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of 7.5–9.1 cm, with bias errors of magnitude under 0.1 cm. The maps were also compared to ALT measurements collected at a number of in situ test sites; error performance relative to the site measurements yielded RMSEs of approximately 11–12 cm and bias of 2.7–6.5 cm. These data are being used to investigate regional patterns and underlying physical controls affecting permafrost degradation in the tundra biome.

Widespread Permafrost Degradation and Thaw Subsidence in Northwest Canada

AbstractLong‐term (1991–2018) thaw tube measurements highlight widespread permafrost thaw and ground surface (GS) subsidence over a large portion of northwest Canada. Statistically significant positive trends in thaw penetration (TP), measured with respect to a fixed datum, were observed at 18 of 28 sites with data that span three decades at a median rate of 0.8 cm a−1. This rate implies thawing of about 22 cm of permafrost over the study period. Similarly significant trends in GS subsidence occurred at 21 of 28 sites, at a median rate of 0.4 cm a−1. In contrast with TP and GS elevation, long‐term trends in active layer thickness (ALT) were less consistent, with 10 of 28 sites having statistically significant trends indicating increasing ALT (median rate: 0.6 cm a−1), and 7 sites having trends indicating decrease in ALT (median: 0.3 cm a−1). The ALT measurements underestimated the thawing of ice‐rich permafrost due to GS subsidence. Sites with high rates of thaw had relatively warm permafrost, deep snow cover, and poor drainage. Masking of ice‐rich permafrost degradation by ALT measurements has important implications for modeling permafrost thaw and climate change reporting. Accurate simulation of ice‐rich permafrost thaw is conceivable for sites where conditions are well‐defined. However, the prediction of subsidence and TP at regional or broader scales is only possible in general terms due to variation in surface conditions and ground ice content. Trends in TP and GS subsidence more accurately characterize ice‐rich permafrost degradation than trends in ALT.

Modeling and mapping permafrost active layer thickness using field measurements and remote sensing techniques

Quantifying end of summer season Active Layer Thickness (ALT) of permafrost is critical for understanding the effects of climate warming, disturbance, and hydrologic changes on permafrost. Current research mainly focuses on ALT estimation and mapping at large scales using process-based or statistical-empirical models with biophysical variables as predictors. Here we modeled multi-year ALT field measurements between 2014 and 2019 at a site in Interior Alaska using 1-m hyperspectral imaging data and an object-based ensemble approach at a local scale (1 km2), examined the efficacy of the multispectral sensor WorldView (WV)-2 for ALT estimation, and explored the potential of integrating single-date imaging data with multi-year in-situ measurements for mapping the spatial and temporal variation of ALT. Modeling results showed hyperspectral imaging was accurate for estimating ALT with a correlation coefficient (r) larger than 0.7, while application of WV-2 data produced an r around 0.4. Reasonable ALT patterns were generated, and the spatial and temporal variation of ALT was delineated between the shallowest (2015) and deepest (2019) years using hyperspectral data. This study suggests hyperspectral imaging is a promising tool for predicting field ALT measurements and monitoring ALT change at local scales. We expect this study will stimulate hyperspectral optical sensors for permafrost studies in general, and particularly for ALT upscaling.

Seasonal Progression of Ground Displacement Identified with Satellite Radar Interferometry and the Impact of Unusually Warm Conditions on Permafrost at the Yamal Peninsula in 2016

Ground subsidence monitoring by Synthetic Aperture Radar interferometry (InSAR) over Arctic permafrost areas is largely limited by long revisit intervals, which can lead to signal decorrelation. Recent satellite missions such as COSMO-Skymed (X-band) and Sentinel-1 (C-band) have comparably short time intervals of a few days. We analyze dense records of COSMO-Skymed from 2013 and 2016 and of Sentinel-1 from 2016, 2017, and 2018 for the unfrozen period over central Yamal (Russia). These years were distinct in environmental conditions and 2016 in particular was unusually warm. We evaluate the InSAR-derived displacement with in situ subsidence records, active-layer thickness measurements, borehole temperature records, meteorological data, C-band scatterometer records, and a land-cover classification based on Sentinel-1 and -2 data. Our results indicate that a comparison of seasonal thaw evolution between years is feasible after accounting for the early thaw data gap in InSAR time series (as a result of snow cover) through an assessment with respect to degree-days of thawing. Average rates of subsidence agree between in situ and Sentinel-1 (corrected for viewing geometry), with 3.9 mm and 4.3 mm per 100 degree-days of thaw at the test site. X-band and C-band records agree well with each other, including seasonal evolution of subsidence. The average displacement is more than twice in magnitude at the active-layer monitoring test site in 2016 compared to the other years. We further demonstrate that InSAR displacement can not only provide information on the magnitude of ground thaw but also on soil properties through analyses of seasonal evolution in extreme years.

Urban Geocryology: Mapping Urban–Rural Contrasts in Active-Layer Thickness, Barrow Peninsula, Northern Alaska

The maximum depth of seasonal thaw is a critical design factor for civil infrastructure in permafrost regions. Although maps of active-layer thickness (ALT) have been created for localized areas in undisturbed terrain, this has rarely been done within urbanized areas. The modified Berggren solution was used to map ALT at a resolution of 30 × 30 m over the 150-km2 Barrow Peninsula in northern Alaska. Emphasis was placed on analyzing differences in accuracy obtained in urbanized and relatively undisturbed tundra. Although the modified Berggren solution is known to provide more accurate estimates of frost and thaw depth than the Stefan solution, it has not been used previously in mapping applications. As part of the Barrow Urban Heat Island Study, seventy-one miniature data loggers were installed in and surrounding the City of Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow) to measure air and soil temperature. The resulting data were used to calculate air and soil surface temperature fields, as well as summer n-factors, based on nine urban and rural land-cover classes. Regional soil and land-cover maps were used to obtain additional input data. Validation was performed by comparing probed ALT measurements with predicted pixel values. Model results confirm that the presence of urban infrastructure increases both the magnitude and the geographic variability of ALT relative to surrounding undisturbed tundra. The Berggren solution performed well for estimating mean values for land-cover classes in both rural and urban areas and has considerable potential as a tool for mapping ALT in other applications. Key Words: active layer, Alaska, Barrow, frozen ground, geocryology, mapping, permafrost, urban, Utqiaġvik.

Active-Layer Thickness Measurements Using a Handheld Penetrometer at Boreal and Tundra Sites in Eastern Siberia

Active-layer thickness (ALT) is one of the most robust measures used to assess the impact of climate change on terrestrial permafrost. Testing of a handheld dynamic cone penetrometer showed that it was capable of measuring ALT with the same level of accuracy as conventional methods in boreal and tundra sites in eastern Siberia. The penetrometer also characterised the vertical structure of ground hardness within the active layer. The vertical profile of penetrometer measurements corresponded closely with soil plasticity and the liquid limit in high-centred polygons produced by thermokarst subsidence in dry grassland areas at a boreal site at Churapcha. The ALT was markedly deeper (>70 cm) at gravelly slope points adjacent to a wet tundra plain (<50 cm) in a CALM grid (R8) at Tiksi. Overall, the penetrometer is considered to provide an accurate and informative proxy for rapidly assessing the spatial heterogeneity and interannual changes in ALT. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ground-penetrating radar-derived measurements of active-layer thickness on the landscape scale with sparse calibration at Toolik and Happy Valley, Alaska

Active-layer thickness (ALT) is an important parameter for studying surface energy balance, ecosystems, and hydrologic processes in cold regions. We measured ALT along 10 routes with lengths ranging from 0.7 to 6.9 km located on the Alaska North Slope near Toolik Lake and the Happy Valley airstrip (between 68.475° and 69.150°N, and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]). Using a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system in a common-offset configuration, we measured the two-way traveltimes from the surface to the bottom of the active layer at the end of summer, when the thaw depth was greatest. We used 500 and 800 MHz antennas; the 500 MHz antenna provided suitable vertical resolution, while producing more unambiguous active-layer reflections in the presence of nonideal antenna coupling and active layer inhomogeneity. We derived ALT measurements and their uncertainties from GPR two-way traveltimes, with mechanical probing for velocity calibration. Using an empirical relationship between the wave velocity and soil volumetric water content (VWC), we found that the velocities were consistent with soil VWCs ranging from 0.46 to 0.63. In 31% of traces, the permafrost table horizon was identifiable, resulting in ALT measurements with uncertainties of generally less than 25%. The average ALT was 48.1 cm, with a standard deviation of 16.1 cm. We found distinct patterns of ALT spatial variability at different sites and different length scales. At some sites, the ALT at one point was effectively uncorrelated with ALT at other points separated by lag distances as small as tens of meters; for other sites, there was correlation at lag distances up to approximately 400 m. The ALT statistics were similar to nearby long-term in situ ALT measurements from the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring Network, through which yearly ALT measurements have been made since 1990.

Past and Present Permafrost Temperatures in the Abisko Area: Redrilling of Boreholes

Monitoring of permafrost has been ongoing since 1978 in the Abisko area, northernmost Sweden, when measurements of active layer thickness started. In 1980, boreholes were drilled in three mires in the area to record permafrost temperatures. Recordings were made twice per year, and the last data were obtained in 2002. During the International Polar Year (2007-2008), new boreholes were drilled within the 'Back to the Future' (BTF) and 'Thermal State of Permafrost' (TSP) projects that enabled year-round temperature monitoring. Mean annual ground temperatures (MAGT) in the mires are close to 0 degrees C, ranging from -0.16 to -0.47 degrees C at 5 m depth. Data from the boreholes show increasing ground temperatures in the upper and lower part by 0.4 to 1 degree C between 1980 and 2002. At one mire, permafrost thickness has decreased from 15 m in 1980 to ca. 9 m in 2009, with an accelerating thawing trend during the last decade.

InSAR measurements of surface deformation over permafrost on the North Slope of Alaska

Ground‐based measurements of active layer thickness provide useful data for validating/calibrating remote sensing and modeling results. However, these in situ measurements are usually site‐specific with limited spatial coverage. Here we apply interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) to measure surface deformation over permafrost on the North Slope of Alaska during the 1992–2000 thawing seasons. We find significantly systematic differences in surface deformation between floodplain areas and the tundra‐covered areas away from the rivers. Using floodplain areas as the reference for InSAR's relative deformation measurements, we find seasonally varying vertical displacements of 1–4 cm with subsidence occurring during the thawing season and a secular subsidence of 1–4 cm/decade. We hypothesize that the seasonal subsidence is caused by thaw settlement of the active layer and that the secular subsidence is probably due to thawing of ice‐rich permafrost near the permafrost table. These mechanisms could explain why in situ measurements on Alaskan North Slope reveal negligible trends in active layer thickness during the 1990s, despite the fact that atmospheric and permafrost temperatures in this region increased during that time. This study demonstrates that surface deformation measurements from InSAR are complementary to more traditional in situ measurements of active layer thickness, and can provide new insights into the dynamics of permafrost systems and changes in permafrost conditions.

Active-Layer Dynamics at the Calypsostranda CALM Site, Recherche Fiord Region, Spitsbergen

Measurements of active-layer thickness were carried out at CALM Site P1 (Calypsostranda), on the southern border of Recherche Fiord (Bellsund region) on the island of Spitsbergen, Svalbard Archipelago. The aim of the studies was to determine the depth and rate of summer thawing and to explain the reasons for local differences. This is of significance owing to the role of the active layer in processes governing development of the periglacial morphogenetic zone. Local factors—including moisture content, vegetation cover, and slope aspect—are important determinants of active-layer thickness and its variability in the Calypsostranda area. Formal sampling and measurement programs, such as those administered by CALM affiliates, are important for discerning between local effects and long-term impacts of climatic changes.

The first 20 years (1978-1979 to 1998-1999) of active-layer development, Illisarvik experimental drained lake site, western Arctic coast, Canada1

Active-layer thickness, snow depth, minimum soil temperatures, near-surface ground ice, soil heave, and permafrost temperatures have been measured for over 20 years following the 1978 artificial drainage of Lake Illisarvik. Measurements of active-layer thickness and other variables have been made at 25-m intervals along the major and minor axes of the oval-shaped drained-lake bed. Permafrost aggradation commenced in the lake bottom during the first winter following drainage. Before the establishment of vegetation, there was little snow cover, minimum ground temperatures were low, and the active layer was relatively thin. However, both snow depth and minimum ground temperatures have risen where vegetation has grown, the active layer has thickened, and in response, the temperature in permafrost has gradually increased. In the lake bottom, the change in snow depth associated with vegetation growth has been the dominant control on variation in active-layer thickness and not summer weather conditions, which are well correlated with thaw depths along an active-layer course established in the adjacent tundra. Changes in elevation of the surface of the lake bed have been measured with respect to some 40 bench marks anchored in permafrost, and indicate vertical movements of the surface associated with frost heave, thaw subsidence, and the growth of aggradational ice. The ground ice content of near-surface permafrost determined by drilling is in close agreement with the measured uplift of the lake bed. The rate of growth of aggradational ice has been ~0.5 cm a–1 over 20 years.