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Ninth International Conference on Permafrost ... - IARC Research

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Satellite Observati<strong>on</strong>s of Frozen Ground, Snowmelt (1989–2007), and HydrologicalResp<strong>on</strong>ses at a Disc<strong>on</strong>tinuous <strong>Permafrost</strong> Aquifer (Fort Wainwright, Alaska)Sarah E. KopczynskiCold Regi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>Research</strong> and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755Joan M. RamageLehigh University, Earth and Envir<strong>on</strong>mental Sciences, Bethlehem, PA 18015Introducti<strong>on</strong>Snow cover influences permafrost thermal regimes andseas<strong>on</strong>ally frozen ground, and thus impacts groundwaterflow, surface runoff, and soil moisture (Ling & Zhang2003). Within permafrost aquifers, climatic warming willlikely increase active layer depth, warm the soil profile,increase soil moisture storage, increase evaporati<strong>on</strong>, causevariable runoff resp<strong>on</strong>ses, and increase groundwater flux tostreamflow (Hinzman & Kane 1992). The aim of this researchis to report climate warming impacts at Fort Wainwright andresulting groundwater resp<strong>on</strong>se over 19 years. Specifically,we investigate timing of spring snowmelt, drawing attenti<strong>on</strong>to impacts <strong>on</strong> permafrost groundwater hydrologic patterns.Fort Wainwright is located in Interior Alaska east ofFairbanks within the Chena watershed (Fig. 1). Disc<strong>on</strong>tinuouspermafrost is distributed throughout unc<strong>on</strong>solidated alluvialsediments and fractured schist bedrock. Groundwater isinfluenced by the local Chena and regi<strong>on</strong>al Tanana Rivers.MethodologyPassive microwave remote sensingThis research applies 19 years of multiple daily satellitebrightness temperature (Tb) observati<strong>on</strong>s of the polar orbitingSpecial Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) downloaded by<strong>on</strong>line archive. Microwave data measure through darkness,clouds, and precipitati<strong>on</strong>. SSM/I data are used to m<strong>on</strong>itorsnowmelt <strong>on</strong>set and durati<strong>on</strong> (Ramage & Isacks 2002).Snow melts and refreezes when Tb(37V)≥246K andabs(DAV)≥10K. The DAV is the daily amplitude variati<strong>on</strong>of ascending and descending Tb overpasses. Large DAV(>10) indicates melt-refreeze cycles, followed by ripe snowc<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s when DAV transiti<strong>on</strong>s from abs(DAV)≥10K toabs(DAV)

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