Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar
In permafrost terrains, the frozen-unfrozen boundary, located at the base of the active layer, is a prominent ground-penetrating radar (GPR) target and is typically used to retrieve active layer thickness. Less attention has been given to the capability of the GPR in detecting structures within the...
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Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado
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Online Access: | https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/38374/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.45784 |
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ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:38374 2024-09-15T17:34:55+00:00 Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar Gusmeroli, Alessio Liu, Lin Schaefer, Kevin Zhang, Tingjun Schaefer, Timothy Grosse, Guido 2015-07-01 https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/38374/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.45784 unknown Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado Gusmeroli, A. , Liu, L. , Schaefer, K. , Zhang, T. , Schaefer, T. and Grosse, G. orcid:0000-0001-5895-2141 (2015) Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar , Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 47 (2), pp. 195-202 . doi:10.1657/AAAR00C-13-301 <https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR00C-13-301> , hdl:10013/epic.45784 EPIC3Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado, 47(2), pp. 195-202 Article isiRev 2015 ftawi https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR00C-13-301 2024-06-24T04:12:21Z In permafrost terrains, the frozen-unfrozen boundary, located at the base of the active layer, is a prominent ground-penetrating radar (GPR) target and is typically used to retrieve active layer thickness. Less attention has been given to the capability of the GPR in detecting structures within the active layer. In this paper, using 500 MHz GPR data from a thermokarst site in the Arctic Coastal Plain, we demonstrate that GPR can retrieve, when present, the internal stratigraphy of the thawed layer. We recognized two types of thermokarst-related microtopographic units: dry-and-uniform peaty hummocks with a thin (∼30 cm) active layer and inter-hummock depressions with a thicker (∼60 cm) active layer characterized by two different layers—a surface peat layer on top of silt confirmed by test pits. Radar wave velocity analysis, done with a common-midpoint survey, suggests a contrast in volumetric water content (87% and 45% for the upper and lower layers, respectively). The subsurface radar wave velocity suggests that the porous peat layer contains more water (87% by volume) than the underlying silt layer (45% by volume), resulting in a strong dielectric contrast and a strong radar reflection. This study demonstrates the usefulness of GPR to measure the thickness and properties of the surface organic layer in permafrost regions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Active layer thickness Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic and Alpine Research permafrost Thermokarst Alaska Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 47 2 195 202 |
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Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
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description |
In permafrost terrains, the frozen-unfrozen boundary, located at the base of the active layer, is a prominent ground-penetrating radar (GPR) target and is typically used to retrieve active layer thickness. Less attention has been given to the capability of the GPR in detecting structures within the active layer. In this paper, using 500 MHz GPR data from a thermokarst site in the Arctic Coastal Plain, we demonstrate that GPR can retrieve, when present, the internal stratigraphy of the thawed layer. We recognized two types of thermokarst-related microtopographic units: dry-and-uniform peaty hummocks with a thin (∼30 cm) active layer and inter-hummock depressions with a thicker (∼60 cm) active layer characterized by two different layers—a surface peat layer on top of silt confirmed by test pits. Radar wave velocity analysis, done with a common-midpoint survey, suggests a contrast in volumetric water content (87% and 45% for the upper and lower layers, respectively). The subsurface radar wave velocity suggests that the porous peat layer contains more water (87% by volume) than the underlying silt layer (45% by volume), resulting in a strong dielectric contrast and a strong radar reflection. This study demonstrates the usefulness of GPR to measure the thickness and properties of the surface organic layer in permafrost regions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gusmeroli, Alessio Liu, Lin Schaefer, Kevin Zhang, Tingjun Schaefer, Timothy Grosse, Guido |
spellingShingle |
Gusmeroli, Alessio Liu, Lin Schaefer, Kevin Zhang, Tingjun Schaefer, Timothy Grosse, Guido Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar |
author_facet |
Gusmeroli, Alessio Liu, Lin Schaefer, Kevin Zhang, Tingjun Schaefer, Timothy Grosse, Guido |
author_sort |
Gusmeroli, Alessio |
title |
Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar |
title_short |
Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar |
title_full |
Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar |
title_fullStr |
Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar |
title_full_unstemmed |
Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar |
title_sort |
active layer stratigraphy and organic layer thickness at a thermokarst site in arctic alaska identified using ground penetrating radar |
publisher |
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/38374/ https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.45784 |
genre |
Active layer thickness Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic and Alpine Research permafrost Thermokarst Alaska |
genre_facet |
Active layer thickness Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Arctic and Alpine Research permafrost Thermokarst Alaska |
op_source |
EPIC3Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), University of Colorado, 47(2), pp. 195-202 |
op_relation |
Gusmeroli, A. , Liu, L. , Schaefer, K. , Zhang, T. , Schaefer, T. and Grosse, G. orcid:0000-0001-5895-2141 (2015) Active Layer Stratigraphy and Organic Layer Thickness at a Thermokarst Site in Arctic Alaska Identified Using Ground Penetrating Radar , Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 47 (2), pp. 195-202 . doi:10.1657/AAAR00C-13-301 <https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR00C-13-301> , hdl:10013/epic.45784 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1657/AAAR00C-13-301 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
47 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
195 |
op_container_end_page |
202 |
_version_ |
1810433445212454912 |