Measuring Thaw Depth Beneath Peat-Lined Arctic Streams Using Ground-Penetrating Radar

In arctic streams, depth of thaw beneath the stream channel is likely a significant parameter controlling hyporheic zone hydrology and biogeochemical cycling. As part of an interdisciplinary study of this system, we conducted a field investigation to test the effectiveness of imaging substream perma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrological Processes
Main Authors: Bradford, John H., McNamara, James P., Bowden, William, Gooseff, Michael N.
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: ScholarWorks 2005
Subjects:
ground-penetrating radar
permafrost
arctic streams
thaw bulb
Geosciences
Earth Sciences
Geophysics and Seismology
Arctic
Online Access:https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/cgiss_facpubs/83
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.5781
Description
Summary:In arctic streams, depth of thaw beneath the stream channel is likely a significant parameter controlling hyporheic zone hydrology and biogeochemical cycling. As part of an interdisciplinary study of this system, we conducted a field investigation to test the effectiveness of imaging substream permafrost using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). We investigated three sites characterized by low-energy water flow, organic material lining the streambeds, and water depths ranging from 0ยท2 to 2 m. We acquired data using a 200 MHz pulsed radar system with the antennas mounted in the bottom of a small rubber boat that was pulled across the stream while triggering the radar at a constant rate. We achieved excellent results at all three sites, with a clear continuous image of the permafrost boundary both peripheral to and beneath the stream. Our results demonstrate that GPR can be an effective tool for measuring substream thaw depth.

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