Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic
Climate change has the potential to impact headwater streams in the Arctic by thawing permafrost and subsequently altering hydrologic regimes and vegetation distribution, physiognomy and productivity. Permafrost thaw and increased subsurface flow have been inferred from the chemistry of large rivers...
Published in: | Environmental Research Letters |
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Language: | English |
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2022
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Online Access: | https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/sensitivity-of-headwater-streamflow-to-thawing-permafrost-and-vegetation-change-in-a-warming-arctic(d73086dc-fd72-4687-80a2-0f07092cecfb).html https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5f2d https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/316067710/Sensitivity_of_headwater_streamflow_to_thawing_permafrost_2_14.pdf |
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ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/d73086dc-fd72-4687-80a2-0f07092cecfb 2024-06-09T07:42:23+00:00 Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic Koch, J. C. Sjöberg, Y. O'Donnell, J. A. Carey, M. P. Sullivan, P. F. Terskaia, A. 2022 application/pdf https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/sensitivity-of-headwater-streamflow-to-thawing-permafrost-and-vegetation-change-in-a-warming-arctic(d73086dc-fd72-4687-80a2-0f07092cecfb).html https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5f2d https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/316067710/Sensitivity_of_headwater_streamflow_to_thawing_permafrost_2_14.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Koch , J C , Sjöberg , Y , O'Donnell , J A , Carey , M P , Sullivan , P F & Terskaia , A 2022 , ' Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic ' , Environmental Research Letters , vol. 17 , no. 4 , 044074 . https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5f2d drying streams permafrost thaw stream chemistry vegetation change water budgets article 2022 ftcopenhagenunip https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5f2d 2024-05-16T11:29:25Z Climate change has the potential to impact headwater streams in the Arctic by thawing permafrost and subsequently altering hydrologic regimes and vegetation distribution, physiognomy and productivity. Permafrost thaw and increased subsurface flow have been inferred from the chemistry of large rivers, but there is limited empirical evidence of the impacts to headwater streams. Here we demonstrate how changing vegetation cover and soil thaw may alter headwater catchment hydrology using water budgets, stream discharge trends, and chemistry across a gradient of ground temperature in northwestern Alaska. Colder, tundra-dominated catchments shed precipitation through stream discharge, whereas in warmer catchments with greater forest extent, evapotranspiration (ET) and infiltration are substantial fluxes. Forest soils thaw earlier, remain thawed longer, and display seasonal water content declines, consistent with greater ET and infiltration. Streambed infiltration and water chemistry indicate that even minor warming can lead to increased infiltration and subsurface flow. Additional warming, permafrost loss, and vegetation shifts in the Arctic will deliver water back to the atmosphere and to subsurface aquifers in many regions, with the potential to substantially reduce discharge in headwater streams, if not compensated by increasing precipitation. Decreasing discharge in headwater streams will have important implications for aquatic and riparian ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Climate change permafrost Tundra Alaska University of Copenhagen: Research Arctic Environmental Research Letters 17 4 044074 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Copenhagen: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftcopenhagenunip |
language |
English |
topic |
drying streams permafrost thaw stream chemistry vegetation change water budgets |
spellingShingle |
drying streams permafrost thaw stream chemistry vegetation change water budgets Koch, J. C. Sjöberg, Y. O'Donnell, J. A. Carey, M. P. Sullivan, P. F. Terskaia, A. Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic |
topic_facet |
drying streams permafrost thaw stream chemistry vegetation change water budgets |
description |
Climate change has the potential to impact headwater streams in the Arctic by thawing permafrost and subsequently altering hydrologic regimes and vegetation distribution, physiognomy and productivity. Permafrost thaw and increased subsurface flow have been inferred from the chemistry of large rivers, but there is limited empirical evidence of the impacts to headwater streams. Here we demonstrate how changing vegetation cover and soil thaw may alter headwater catchment hydrology using water budgets, stream discharge trends, and chemistry across a gradient of ground temperature in northwestern Alaska. Colder, tundra-dominated catchments shed precipitation through stream discharge, whereas in warmer catchments with greater forest extent, evapotranspiration (ET) and infiltration are substantial fluxes. Forest soils thaw earlier, remain thawed longer, and display seasonal water content declines, consistent with greater ET and infiltration. Streambed infiltration and water chemistry indicate that even minor warming can lead to increased infiltration and subsurface flow. Additional warming, permafrost loss, and vegetation shifts in the Arctic will deliver water back to the atmosphere and to subsurface aquifers in many regions, with the potential to substantially reduce discharge in headwater streams, if not compensated by increasing precipitation. Decreasing discharge in headwater streams will have important implications for aquatic and riparian ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Koch, J. C. Sjöberg, Y. O'Donnell, J. A. Carey, M. P. Sullivan, P. F. Terskaia, A. |
author_facet |
Koch, J. C. Sjöberg, Y. O'Donnell, J. A. Carey, M. P. Sullivan, P. F. Terskaia, A. |
author_sort |
Koch, J. C. |
title |
Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic |
title_short |
Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic |
title_full |
Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic |
title_sort |
sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming arctic |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/sensitivity-of-headwater-streamflow-to-thawing-permafrost-and-vegetation-change-in-a-warming-arctic(d73086dc-fd72-4687-80a2-0f07092cecfb).html https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5f2d https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/316067710/Sensitivity_of_headwater_streamflow_to_thawing_permafrost_2_14.pdf |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Climate change permafrost Tundra Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Climate change permafrost Tundra Alaska |
op_source |
Koch , J C , Sjöberg , Y , O'Donnell , J A , Carey , M P , Sullivan , P F & Terskaia , A 2022 , ' Sensitivity of headwater streamflow to thawing permafrost and vegetation change in a warming Arctic ' , Environmental Research Letters , vol. 17 , no. 4 , 044074 . https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5f2d |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac5f2d |
container_title |
Environmental Research Letters |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
044074 |
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1801371282829213696 |