Climate Sensitivity of High Arctic Permafrost Terrain Demonstrated by Widespread Ice-Wedge Thermokarst on Banks Island

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dc.contributor.authorFraser, Robert H.
dc.contributor.authorKokelj, Steven V.
dc.contributor.authorLantz, Trevor C.
dc.contributor.authorMcFarlane-Winchester, Morgan
dc.contributor.authorOlthof, Ian
dc.contributor.authorLacelle, Denis
dc.date.accessioned2020-10-14T23:31:03Z
dc.date.available2020-10-14T23:31:03Z
dc.date.copyright2018en_US
dc.date.issued2018
dc.description.abstractIce-wedge networks underlie polygonal terrain and comprise the most widespread form of massive ground ice in continuous permafrost. Here, we show that climate-driven thaw of hilltop ice-wedge networks is rapidly transforming uplands across Banks Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Change detection using high-resolutionWorldView images and historical air photos, coupled with 32-year Landsat reflectance trends, indicate broad-scale increases in ponding from ice-wedge thaw on hilltops, which has significantly affected at least 1500 km2 of Banks Island and over 3.5% of the total upland area. Trajectories of change associated with this upland ice-wedge thermokarst include increased micro-relief, development of high-centred polygons, and, in areas of poor drainage, ponding and potential initiation of thaw lakes. Millennia of cooling climate have favoured ice-wedge growth, and an absence of ecosystem disturbance combined with surface denudation by solifluction has produced high Arctic uplands and slopes underlain by ice-wedge networks truncated at the permafrost table. The thin veneer of thermally-conductive mineral soils strongly links Arctic upland active-layer responses to summer warming. For these reasons, widespread and intense ice-wedge thermokarst on Arctic hilltops and slopes contrast more muted responses to warming reported in low and subarctic environments. Increasing field evidence of thermokarst highlights the inherent climate sensitivity of the Arctic permafrost terrain and the need for integrated approaches to monitor change and investigate the cascade of environmental consequences.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.identifier.citationFraser, R. H., Kokelj, S. V., Lantz, T. C., McFarlane-Winchester, M., Olthof, I., & Lacelle, D. (2018). Climate Sensitivity of High Arctic Permafrost Terrain Demonstrated by Widespread Ice-Wedge Thermokarst on Banks Island. Remote Sensing, 10(6), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10060954.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/rs10060954
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/12207
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherRemote Sensingen_US
dc.subjectpermafrosten_US
dc.subjectclimate changeen_US
dc.subjectice-wedge polygonsen_US
dc.subjectLandsaten_US
dc.subjectBanks Islanden_US
dc.subjectArcticen_US
dc.subjectterrain sensitivityen_US
dc.titleClimate Sensitivity of High Arctic Permafrost Terrain Demonstrated by Widespread Ice-Wedge Thermokarst on Banks Islanden_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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