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Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies Active

By Alaska Science Center May 30, 2017

Catchment hydrology focuses on the movement of water and solutes from landscapes to waterbodies. Our research addresses questions such as: Where is the stream water coming from? How long did it take to get here? What solutes, nutrients, and/or contaminants did the water pick up along the way? Because streams and lakes gather water and solutes, we can learn about the entire watershed by studying stream and lake hydrology and chemistry.

A conceptual model of effect of permafrost on catchment hydrology.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.
A conceptual model of effect of permafrost on catchment hydrology – permafrost may restrict deep flow, leading to quick drainage of aquifers. As permafrost thaws, altered flowpaths (from red to blue) affect water residence times and solute loads, with implications for the stream ecosystem.(Credit: Kim Wickland, USGS. Public domain.)

Return to Water or Landscape Science

 

Our research focuses on many Alaskan landscapes, primarily the Arctic and Boreal regions. Often our research addresses how catchment hydrology is influenced by permafrost presence and thaw. In boreal settings, we also consider the effects of fire. Both fire and thaw can substantially change hydrologic flow paths and subsequently the delivery of water, sediments, and solutes to streams and lakes. These changes in turn, have broad implications for Alaskan ecosystems and wildlife.

Our research is critical for stakeholders and land managers because it can quantitatively describe the processes underlying observed environmental conditions and change, and provides the fundamental understanding necessary for predicting future conditions.

Projects

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain

Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
Learn More
link
The "From Icefield to Ocean Poster" depicts the important linkages between glaciers and the ocean.

Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
Learn More
link
Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
Learn More
link
Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
Learn More
link
Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek catchment

Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
Learn More
link
The north fork of the Agashashok River

Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

Descriptions, Depth to Refusal, and Field-Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Soils on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2016

This dataset includes soil data collected from various landscapes adjacent to thaw ponds on the North Slope of Alaska between 2012 and 2018. The landscapes include ice-rich polygonal ground found on basin uplands, as well as bluffs and lake edges. At each site a visual description of soil type and texture was performed, and a permafrost probe was used to determine a 'depth to refusal'. Given that
By
Alaska Science Center

Physical, Hydraulic, and Thermal Properties of Soils in the Noatak River Basin, Alaska, 2016

This dataset includes physical, hydraulic, and thermal properties of soils collected in two sub-watersheds in the Noatak River Basin in northwestern Alaska. Physical properties include dry bulk density and porosity. Hydraulic properties include field- and lab-based hydraulic conductivity, soil-water retention data, and parameters used in a common soil-water retention model (van Genuchten model). T
By
Alaska Science Center

Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017

This data set includes 15-minute interval data on stream temperature, stage, and discharge from low-order streams in the Yukon River Basin in interior Alaska, collected during the summer months. The depth of the water and temperature were determined using a combined pressure transducer and temperature sensor that was deployed through the summer months. Different sensors were used in each stream an
By
Alaska Science Center

Nitrogen biogeochemistry in a boreal headwater stream network in Interior Alaska, 2008 to 2011

High latitude, boreal watersheds are nitrogen-limited ecosystems that export large amounts of organic carbon. Key controls on carbon cycling in these environments are the biogeochemical processes affecting the nitrogen cycle. This data release presents results of a 3-year field study from 2008-2011 to document the relation between seasonal and transport-associated changes in carbon and nitrogen
By
Water Resources Mission Area

Influenza A Virus Persistence Data from an Urban Wetland in Anchorage, Alaska, 2018-2019

This dataset is three tables with details of samples and aliquots of waterfowl feces deposited in filtered surface water collected from an urban waterbody in Anchorage, Alaska in 2018-2019. Sample vials were submerged underwater in the same waterbody from which the samples were collected and the samples were tested for the presence and viability of influenza A virus. Temperature data and water che
By
Alaska Science Center

Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

The Agashashok River and Asik watershed
link
Agashashok River and Asik watershed
Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites
link
Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites
Scientist pours a dye in a pit to see how water moves through soil
link
Soil tracer applied on burned hillslope
The north fork of the Agashashok River
link
The north fork of the Agashashok River
Bedrock peaks in the Agashashok River Watershed
link
Bedrock peaks in the Agashashok River Watershed
A tributary of the Agashashok River
link
Tributary of the Agashashok River
The Agashashok River Watershed
link
The Agashashok River Watershed
Periphyton in a tributary of the Agashashok River
link
Periphyton in a tributary of the Agashashok River
A high alpine tributary of the Agashashok River
link
A high alpine tributary of the Agashashok River
Scientist collects water chemistry samples during a subsurface tracer experiment
link
Collecting water chemistry samples
Meanders on the Agashashok River
link
Meanders on the Agashashok River
A tributary at the arctic-boreal transition in the Agashashok River Watershed
link
A tributary at the Agashashok River Watershed
Goose Creek Watershed
link
Goose Creek Watershed
Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed
link
Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed
Short trees with mountain in background
link
West Twin Creek catchment with Table Top Mountain
A degrading trough network on the Arctic Coastal Plain
link
A degrading trough network on the Arctic Coastal Plain
Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain
link
Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain
Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek catchment
link
Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek Catchment
A stream winding through polygonal ground on the Arctic Coastal Plain
link
A stream winding through polygonal ground on the Arctic Coastal Plain

Below are publications associated with this project.

Field-based method for assessing duration of infectivity for influenza A viruses in the environment

Understanding influenza A virus (IAV) persistence in wetlands is limited by a paucity of field studies relating to the maintenance of infectivity over time. The duration of IAV infectivity in water has been assessed under variable laboratory conditions, but results are difficult to translate to more complex field conditions. We tested a field-based method to assess the viability of IAVs in an Alas
Authors
Andrew B. Reeves, Andrew M. Ramey, Joshua C. Koch, Rebecca L. Poulson, David E. Stallknecht
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Permafrost hydrology drives the assimilation of old carbon by stream food webs in the Arctic

Permafrost thaw in the Arctic is mobilizing old carbon (C) from soils to aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere. Little is known, however, about the assimilation of old C by aquatic food webs in Arctic watersheds. Here, we used C isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C) to quantify C assimilation by biota across 12 streams in arctic Alaska. Streams spanned watersheds with varying permafrost hydrology, from ice-poor b
Authors
Jonathon A O'Donnell, Michael P. Carey, Joshua C. Koch, Xiaomei Xu, Brett Poulin, Jennifer Walker, Christian E. Zimmerman
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

Arctic Rivers Project: Connecting Indigenous knowledge and western science to strengthen collective understanding of the changing Arctic

The Arctic Rivers Project will weave together Indigenous knowledges, monitoring, and the modeling of climate, rivers (flows, temperature, ice), and fish to improve understanding of how Arctic rivers, ice transportation corridors, fish, and communities might be impacted by and adapt to climate change.

By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
  • Overview

    Catchment hydrology focuses on the movement of water and solutes from landscapes to waterbodies. Our research addresses questions such as: Where is the stream water coming from? How long did it take to get here? What solutes, nutrients, and/or contaminants did the water pick up along the way? Because streams and lakes gather water and solutes, we can learn about the entire watershed by studying stream and lake hydrology and chemistry.

    A conceptual model of effect of permafrost on catchment hydrology.
    Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.
    A conceptual model of effect of permafrost on catchment hydrology – permafrost may restrict deep flow, leading to quick drainage of aquifers. As permafrost thaws, altered flowpaths (from red to blue) affect water residence times and solute loads, with implications for the stream ecosystem.(Credit: Kim Wickland, USGS. Public domain.)

    Return to Water or Landscape Science

     

    Our research focuses on many Alaskan landscapes, primarily the Arctic and Boreal regions. Often our research addresses how catchment hydrology is influenced by permafrost presence and thaw. In boreal settings, we also consider the effects of fire. Both fire and thaw can substantially change hydrologic flow paths and subsequently the delivery of water, sediments, and solutes to streams and lakes. These changes in turn, have broad implications for Alaskan ecosystems and wildlife.

    Our research is critical for stakeholders and land managers because it can quantitatively describe the processes underlying observed environmental conditions and change, and provides the fundamental understanding necessary for predicting future conditions.

    Projects

  • Science

    Below are other science projects associated with this project.

    link
    Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain

    Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

    The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
    By
    Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

    The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
    Learn More
    link
    The "From Icefield to Ocean Poster" depicts the important linkages between glaciers and the ocean.

    Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

    This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

    This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
    Learn More
    link
    Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed

    Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

    This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

    This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
    Learn More
    link
    Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites

    Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

    ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
    By
    Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

    ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
    Learn More
    link
    Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek catchment

    Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

    The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
    By
    Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

    The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.
    Learn More
    link
    The north fork of the Agashashok River

    Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

    The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
    By
    Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

    The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
    Learn More
  • Data

    Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

    Descriptions, Depth to Refusal, and Field-Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity of Soils on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2016

    This dataset includes soil data collected from various landscapes adjacent to thaw ponds on the North Slope of Alaska between 2012 and 2018. The landscapes include ice-rich polygonal ground found on basin uplands, as well as bluffs and lake edges. At each site a visual description of soil type and texture was performed, and a permafrost probe was used to determine a 'depth to refusal'. Given that
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Physical, Hydraulic, and Thermal Properties of Soils in the Noatak River Basin, Alaska, 2016

    This dataset includes physical, hydraulic, and thermal properties of soils collected in two sub-watersheds in the Noatak River Basin in northwestern Alaska. Physical properties include dry bulk density and porosity. Hydraulic properties include field- and lab-based hydraulic conductivity, soil-water retention data, and parameters used in a common soil-water retention model (van Genuchten model). T
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Water Level, Temperature, and Discharge of Headwater Streams in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, 2016 and 2017

    This data set includes 15-minute interval data on stream temperature, stage, and discharge from low-order streams in the Yukon River Basin in interior Alaska, collected during the summer months. The depth of the water and temperature were determined using a combined pressure transducer and temperature sensor that was deployed through the summer months. Different sensors were used in each stream an
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Nitrogen biogeochemistry in a boreal headwater stream network in Interior Alaska, 2008 to 2011

    High latitude, boreal watersheds are nitrogen-limited ecosystems that export large amounts of organic carbon. Key controls on carbon cycling in these environments are the biogeochemical processes affecting the nitrogen cycle. This data release presents results of a 3-year field study from 2008-2011 to document the relation between seasonal and transport-associated changes in carbon and nitrogen
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area

    Influenza A Virus Persistence Data from an Urban Wetland in Anchorage, Alaska, 2018-2019

    This dataset is three tables with details of samples and aliquots of waterfowl feces deposited in filtered surface water collected from an urban waterbody in Anchorage, Alaska in 2018-2019. Sample vials were submerged underwater in the same waterbody from which the samples were collected and the samples were tested for the presence and viability of influenza A virus. Temperature data and water che
    By
    Alaska Science Center
  • Multimedia

    Below are multimedia items associated with this project.

    The Agashashok River and Asik watershed
    link
    Agashashok River and Asik watershed
    Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites
    link
    Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites
    Scientist pours a dye in a pit to see how water moves through soil
    link
    Soil tracer applied on burned hillslope
    The north fork of the Agashashok River
    link
    The north fork of the Agashashok River
    Bedrock peaks in the Agashashok River Watershed
    link
    Bedrock peaks in the Agashashok River Watershed
    A tributary of the Agashashok River
    link
    Tributary of the Agashashok River
    The Agashashok River Watershed
    link
    The Agashashok River Watershed
    Periphyton in a tributary of the Agashashok River
    link
    Periphyton in a tributary of the Agashashok River
    A high alpine tributary of the Agashashok River
    link
    A high alpine tributary of the Agashashok River
    Scientist collects water chemistry samples during a subsurface tracer experiment
    link
    Collecting water chemistry samples
    Meanders on the Agashashok River
    link
    Meanders on the Agashashok River
    A tributary at the arctic-boreal transition in the Agashashok River Watershed
    link
    A tributary at the Agashashok River Watershed
    Goose Creek Watershed
    link
    Goose Creek Watershed
    Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed
    link
    Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed
    Short trees with mountain in background
    link
    West Twin Creek catchment with Table Top Mountain
    A degrading trough network on the Arctic Coastal Plain
    link
    A degrading trough network on the Arctic Coastal Plain
    Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain
    link
    Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain
    Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek catchment
    link
    Table Top Mountain and the West Twin Creek Catchment
    A stream winding through polygonal ground on the Arctic Coastal Plain
    link
    A stream winding through polygonal ground on the Arctic Coastal Plain
  • Publications

    Below are publications associated with this project.

    Field-based method for assessing duration of infectivity for influenza A viruses in the environment

    Understanding influenza A virus (IAV) persistence in wetlands is limited by a paucity of field studies relating to the maintenance of infectivity over time. The duration of IAV infectivity in water has been assessed under variable laboratory conditions, but results are difficult to translate to more complex field conditions. We tested a field-based method to assess the viability of IAVs in an Alas
    Authors
    Andrew B. Reeves, Andrew M. Ramey, Joshua C. Koch, Rebecca L. Poulson, David E. Stallknecht
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

    Permafrost hydrology drives the assimilation of old carbon by stream food webs in the Arctic

    Permafrost thaw in the Arctic is mobilizing old carbon (C) from soils to aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere. Little is known, however, about the assimilation of old C by aquatic food webs in Arctic watersheds. Here, we used C isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C) to quantify C assimilation by biota across 12 streams in arctic Alaska. Streams spanned watersheds with varying permafrost hydrology, from ice-poor b
    Authors
    Jonathon A O'Donnell, Michael P. Carey, Joshua C. Koch, Xiaomei Xu, Brett Poulin, Jennifer Walker, Christian E. Zimmerman
    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center
  • Web Tools

    Arctic Rivers Project: Connecting Indigenous knowledge and western science to strengthen collective understanding of the changing Arctic

    The Arctic Rivers Project will weave together Indigenous knowledges, monitoring, and the modeling of climate, rivers (flows, temperature, ice), and fish to improve understanding of how Arctic rivers, ice transportation corridors, fish, and communities might be impacted by and adapt to climate change.

    By
    Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center