Collaborative Research: What Role Do Glaciers Play in Terrestrial Sub-Arctic Hydrology?

This project will develop a comprehensive assessment of the glacier-permafrost-hydrology system in light of anticipated increases in glacier wastage and permafrost degradation with climate warming. Current limited understanding of the integrated effects of glaciers and permafrost on terrestrial hydrology inhibits quantification of the impact of cryospheric changes on arctic water resources. Glaciers in permafrost landscapes feed and recharge aquifers in otherwise semi-arid lowlands, which despite relatively low precipitation rates, contain extensive wetlands. The specific objectives of this study are to 1) assess the hydrologic pathways of glacier wastage within a watershed underlain by discontinuous permafrost through hydrologic and geochemical field measurements, 2) quantify the effect of glaciers and permafrost on recent historical (1960-present) hydrologic fluxes and storage by combining glacier mass balance, hydrologic, and geochemical field measurements with an existing heat- and mass transfer model that couples glacier mass balance to downstream hydrology, and 3) project the future hydrologic regime using custom-derived downscaled climate projections (5 km) for the Tanana River basin, Alaska. The major products of the project will include a quantification of the controls that govern the hydrologic processes in glacier- and permafrost affected watersheds.