Lake dynamics in the tundra of Western Greenland from 1969-2017

• Main Author: Finger Higgens, Rebecca
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Arctic Data Center 2019
• Subjects: lake drying; evaporation; historical weather data; Kangerlussuaq, Greenland; Arctic; Arctic Lake; Greenland; Kangerlussuaq; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.18739/a2251fk3b; https://arcticdata.io/catalog/#view/doi:10.18739/A2251FK3B

We analyzed changes in small lake count (<10,000 m2), large lake count (>10,000 m2), and lake surface area across the periglacial tundra of western Greenland, using historical satellite and aerial imagery and weather data from the late 1960s- present. Overall, we found a decrease in lake count (21%) and surface area (2%) across our study region. Specifically, smaller ponds were particularly prone to change, with decreases of 28% in count and 15% in surface area. Shrinking lakes often became revegetated by both emergent aquatic and terrestrial vegetation, which captures potential successional trajectories following Arctic lake drying. Additionally, while annual precipitation may be increasing, it occurred primarily during the winter months in the form of snow which may or may not contribute to the overall growing season water budget. Conversely, the peak growing season months of June, July, and August all have experienced significant increases in potential evaporation rates, thus likely creating a water deficit for a bulk of the growing season.