Journal article
Understanding the relative importance of vertical and horizontal flow in ice-wedge polygons
Hydrology and earth system sciences, Vol.24(3), pp.1109-1129
03/10/2020
DOI: 10.5194/hess-24-1109-2020
Abstract
Ice-wedge polygons are common Arctic land-forms. The future of these landforms in a warming climate depends on the bidirectional feedback between the rate of ice-wedge degradation and changes in hydrological characteristics. This work aims to better understand the relative roles of vertical and horizontal water fluxes in the subsurface of polygonal landscapes, providing new insights and data to test and calibrate hydrological models. Field-scale investigations were conducted at an intensively instrumented location on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) near Utqia.gvik, AK, USA. Using a conservative tracer, we examined controls of microtopography and the frost table on subsurface flow and transport within a low-centered and a high-centered polygon. Bromide tracer was applied at both polygons in July 2015 and transport was monitored through two thaw seasons. Sampler arrays placed in polygon centers, rims, and troughs were used to monitor tracer concentrations. In both polygons, the tracer first infiltrated vertically until encountering the frost table and was then transported horizontally. Horizontal flow occurred in more locations and at higher velocities in the low-centered polygon than in the high-centered polygon. Preferential flow, influenced by frost table topography, was significant between polygon centers and troughs. Estimates of horizontal hydraulic conductivity were within the range of previous estimates of vertical conductivity, highlighting the importance of horizontal flow in these systems. This work forms a basis for understanding complexity of flow in polygonal landscapes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Understanding the relative importance of vertical and horizontal flow in ice-wedge polygons
- Creators
- Nathan A. Wales - New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyJesus D. Gomez-Velez - New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyBrent D. Newman - Los Alamos National LaboratoryCathy J. Wilson - Los Alamos National LaboratoryBaptiste Dafflon - Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryTimothy J. Kneafsey - Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryFlorian Soom - Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryStan D. Wullschleger - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Hydrology and earth system sciences, Vol.24(3), pp.1109-1129
- DOI
- 10.5194/hess-24-1109-2020
- ISSN
- 1027-5606
- eISSN
- 1607-7938
- Publisher
- Copernicus Gesellschaft Mbh
- Number of pages
- 21
- Grant note
- DE-AC52-06NA25396 / Department of Energy; United States Department of Energy (DOE)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/10/2020
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984962531702771
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