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14) The Flooding Effect on Coastal Permafrost Thaw

Presentation Date
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 1:00pm - Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at 3:00pm
Authors

Author

Abstract

The Flooding Effect on Coastal Permafrost Thaw ThumbnailFlooding of low-lying Arctic regions has the potential to warm and thaw permafrost by changing the surface reflectance of solar insolation, increasing subsurface soil moisture, and increasing soil thermal conductivity. However, the impact of flooding on permafrost in the continuous permafrost environment remains poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we used a combination of available flooding data on the Ikpikpuk delta and a numerical model to simulate the hydro-thermal responses of permafrost to coastal flooding. In this poster, we will first present how the flood seasonality and frequency controls heat penetration and affects permafrost thaw and the changes in active layer thickness. In the second part, we will present and discuss the on-going study that further examines the flooding effect on permafrost thaw by considering the feedback between permafrost subsidence and hydrothermal dynamics caused by the ice content change during coastal flooding.

Category
Coastal Erosion and Flooding
Funding Program Area(s)