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.
Return to Water or Landscape Science >> Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies
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. The boreal forest is the Earth’s largest terrestrial biome, and thus plays a major role in biogeochemical cycling, creation of habitat for wildlife, as well as wilderness and resources for humans. Our studies at NCEW have focused on catchment runoff, subsurface transport and storage, aqueous fluxes and gaseous emission of carbon and nutrients, geophysical characterization of degrading permafrost landscapes, and vegetation trends related to warming and fire. Continuous records of stream discharge and temperature, soil moisture, and meteorological conditions have been collected since 2010, with ancillary data including continuous water quality collected over shorter durations.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies
Arctic Coastal Plain Studies
Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling
Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)
Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology
- Overview
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.
Return to Water or Landscape Science >> Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies
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. The boreal forest is the Earth’s largest terrestrial biome, and thus plays a major role in biogeochemical cycling, creation of habitat for wildlife, as well as wilderness and resources for humans. Our studies at NCEW have focused on catchment runoff, subsurface transport and storage, aqueous fluxes and gaseous emission of carbon and nutrients, geophysical characterization of degrading permafrost landscapes, and vegetation trends related to warming and fire. Continuous records of stream discharge and temperature, soil moisture, and meteorological conditions have been collected since 2010, with ancillary data including continuous water quality collected over shorter durations.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Matt and Josh Koch preparing for a subsurface tracer test on the West Twin Creek hillslope.(Credit: Ryan Toohey, USGS. Public domain.) - Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies
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...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...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.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.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.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. - Publications