Seasonal Water Table Depth (WTD) from the Mobile Instrumented System Platform (MISP) grid in Barrow and Atqasuk, Alaska 2021

• Main Author: Sergio Vargas-Zesati
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Arctic Data Center 2022
• Subjects: EARTH SCIENCE; LAND SURFACE; SOILS; SOIL MOISTURE/WATER CONTENT; TRANSECT; 30 METERS TO 100 METERS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS; PROBES; FIELD SURVEY; MONTHLY TO ANNUAL; environment; Arctic; Barrow; Tundra; Alaska
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.18739/A27659H0R

Seasonal water table depth measurements were collected during the 2021 growing seasons at each Mobile Instrumented System Platform (MISP) located at Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska as well as in Atqasuk, Alaska. If a uniform representation of the water table within each plot was visible, then a Water Table Depth (WTD) tube was placed there to measure the change in water table throughout the season. One water table depth measurement was acquired, the date, start and end times, and the people present were also recorded, at alternating grid meters. Water table depth was taken on the north side of the grid at each WTD tube in order to reduce disturbance of vegetation. These measurements are part of the Arctic Observing Network (AON) - International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) initiative and help to document seasonal changes in surface moisture and structure at high spatial scales. Special note on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impact: 2021 summer field work was partly restricted due to the COVID-19 ongoing pandemic. Travel to native villages required a 10 to 14-day quarantine period after arrival, prompting field work to start at later dates than usual. Despite missing June sampling dates, we consider the basic field observations a success as we received at least one complete set of field observations from each site.