Ice-rich permafrost bluffs on the bank of the Canning River, Alaska

Ice-rich permafrost exerts a strong control on hydrology in Arctic regions because it limits infiltration, leading to large runoff events. Permafrost also stores large amounts of carbon that may be released to ecosystems and the atmosphere when permafrost thaws. These icy cliffs were visited as part of a project led by Josh Koch (USGS) focused on identifying sources and travel times of water and solutes reaching rivers on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. https://alaska.usgs.gov/portal/project.php?project_id=448