Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology
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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.
The north fork of the Agashashok River.
(Credit: Josh Koch, USGS. Public domain.)
Return to Water or Landscape Science >> Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies
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. Landscapes and streams are warming, affecting plant growth and fish and wildlife habitat. HEAT aims to understand the impacts of warming on the ecosystems at the Arctic-boreal transition, in the Noatak Preserve in northwestern Alaska. Here, catchments are near the physiographic limit of where trees can grow, and thus vegetation is dominated either by tundra or forest, depending on aspect and elevation. These different land cover types impact water storage, and the movement of water and nutrients from the catchments to the streams. By considering differences in temperatures, stream inflows, biogeochemical cycling, and fish presence, growth, and movement, this project aims to understand the link between physical changes in stream chemistry and fish ecology, with an eye towards how these links will change in the future.
This product is in conjuction with Hydro-ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Agashashok River watershed Installation Locations - 2016
Public domain.)
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...
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Date published: April 18, 2018Status: ActiveHydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Permafrost thaw is leading to a myriad of changes in physical and chemical conditions throughout the Arctic.
Attribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 30, 2017Status: ActiveArctic 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...
Attribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 30, 2017Status: ActiveWolverine 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.
Contacts: Shad O'Neel, Ph.D., Louis Sass, III, Joshua C Koch, Ph.D., Sara Sawicki, Jennifer Witter, Jason GeckAttribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 30, 2017Status: ActiveMatanuska-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.
Contacts: Joshua C Koch, Ph.D., Ty Ferre, Mike Gracz, Frankie BarkerAttribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 30, 2017Status: ActiveArctic 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.
Contacts: Rob Striegl, Michelle Walvoord, Burke Minsley, Kimberly Wickland, Brian A Ebel, Joshua C Koch, Ph.D., Bruce Wiley, Torre Jorgenson, Dave Butman, Rob SpencerAttribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center -
Date published: April 18, 2017Status: ActiveNome 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.
Contacts: Joshua C Koch, Ph.D., Ryan Toohey, Ph.D., Paul F Schuster, Burke Minsley, Kimberly Wickland, Rob Striegl, Matthew Reeves, Dana Brown, Kathy KelseyAttribution: Region 11: Alaska, Alaska Science Center
Permafrost promotes shallow groundwater flow and warmer headwater streams
The presence of permafrost influences the flow paths of water through Arctic landscapes and thereby has the potential to impact stream discharge and thermal regimes. Observations from eleven headwater streams in Alaska showed that July water temperatures were higher in catchments with more near‐surface permafrost. We apply a fully coupled...
Sjoberg, Ylva; Janke, Adam K.; Painter, S; Coonradt, E.; Carey, Michael P.; O'Donnell, Jonathan A.; Koch, Joshua C. Potential effects of permafrost thaw on arctic river ecosystems
No abstract available.
O'Donnell, Jonathan A.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Carey, Michael P.; Koch, Joshua C. Dissolved organic matter composition of Arctic rivers: Linking permafrost and parent material to riverine carbon
Recent climate change in the Arctic is driving permafrost thaw, which has important implications for regional hydrology and global carbon dynamics. Permafrost is an important control on groundwater dynamics and the amount and chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) transported by high-latitude rivers. The consequences of permafrost...
O’Donnell, Jonathan A.; Aiken, George R.; Swanson, David K.; Santosh, Panda; Butler, Kenna D.; Baltensperger, Andrew P.-
Date published: September 25, 2020Meteorological Data from Two Locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, Northwestern Alaska, 2015 to 2017
Meteorological data was collected from two locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, one high in the drainage located on tundra (67.5440 N, -161.6828 E) and a second on a rocky knoll near the watershed mouth (67.2821 N, -162.5841 E). The data contain information on air temperatures, rainfall, barometric pressure, relative humidity, incoming and outgoing radiation, and w
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: September 25, 2020Continuous Records of Shallow Soil Temperature and Moisture in the Noatak River Basin, Alaska
Soil moisture and temperature were measured at four shallow depths in multiple locations within tundra and forested landscapes of the Agashashok River basin. The measurements were made continuously beginning in 2015 until the most recent download in summer, 2019 or until the sensors or loggers failed.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: June 1, 2020Stream Temperatures in the Noatak River and Kobuk River Basins, Northwest Alaska, 2017 - 2019
This data set includes 15-minute interval data on stream temperature from low-order streams and main-stem rivers in the Noatak and Kobuk River valleys in Northwestern Alaska, collected during the summer months. The water temperatures were determined using a HOBO Water Temp Pro v2 (Onset Computer Corporation, Bourne, MA, USA)with ±0.2 °C accuracy. Sensors were place in severa
Attribution: Alaska Science Center
Gravel bar on the north fork of the Agashashok River, Alaska
A gravel bar on the north fork of the Agashashok River, Alaska. This work is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology project that takes place in the Arctic Network Parks because they lie in a region that is rapidly warming. This study focuses on
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A misty morning in the headwaters of the Akillik River, Alaska
A misty morning in the headwaters of the Akillik River, Alaska. This work is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology project that takes place in the Arctic Network Parks because they lie in a region that is rapidly warming. This study focuses on
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Scientists measuring discharge and collecting water chemistry samples
USGS and NPS scientists measuring discharge and collecting water chemistry in small tributary to the Cutler River in the early summer. This work is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology project that takes place in the Arctic Network Parks because they
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A stream runs through ice-rich polygonal ground, Cutler River Basin
A small stream meanders through ice-rich polygonal ground in the Cutler River Basin, Alaska. This work is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology project that takes place in the Arctic Network Parks because they lie in a region that is rapidly warming.
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Flooding stream in a permafrost landscape, Kobuk Valley National Park
A flooding stream meanders through a permafrost landscape in Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska. This work is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology project that takes place in the Arctic Network Parks because they lie in a region that is rapidly
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Agashashok River Basin Installation Locations
Agashashok River watershed Installation Locations - 2016
The north fork of the Agashashok River
The north fork of the Agashashok River
The majestic Brooks Range in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska
The majestic Brooks Range in Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska. This work is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology project that takes place in the Arctic Network Parks. This study focuses on headwater streams because they are more susceptible to hydrologic changes than larger rivers, control the flux of solutes and nutrients from the land to
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Date published: January 13, 2021Publication Finds That Permafrost Presence Results in Warmer Headwater Streams
Permafrost thaw is occurring across the Arctic with potential consequences for hydrology, ecosystems, humans, and wildlife. A team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, the National Park Service, and the Department of Energy Oak Ridge National Laboratory are collaborating to understand the impacts of warming on the ecosystems in the Noatak Preserve in Alaska.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center