Data from: Rates and processes of aeolian soil erosion in West Greenland ...
In arid landscapes across the globe, aeolian processes are key drivers of landscape change, but arid Arctic regions are often overlooked. In the Kangerlussuaq region of West Greenland, strong katabatic winds have removed discrete patches of soil and vegetation, exposing unproductive glacial till and...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Dataset |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Dryad
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v82g6 https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.v82g6 |
| Summary: | In arid landscapes across the globe, aeolian processes are key drivers of landscape change, but arid Arctic regions are often overlooked. In the Kangerlussuaq region of West Greenland, strong katabatic winds have removed discrete patches of soil and vegetation, exposing unproductive glacial till and bedrock. Although lake-sediment records suggest that landscape destabilization began approximately 1000 years ago, the upland soil erosion has never been directly dated. We use a novel application of lichenometry to estimate the rates and timing of soil erosion. We show that the formation of deflation patches occurred approximately 800–230 years ago, in general agreement with lake-sediment records. In West Greenland, the ‘Little Ice Age’ (AD 1350–1880) was characterized by a cold and arid climate, conditions that increased susceptibility to erosion. On average, deflation patches are expanding at a rate of 2.5 cm yr−1, and variation in the rate of patch expansion cannot be explained by proximity to the Greenland ... : Lichen DiametersRaw Rhizocarpon sp. lichen diameters from soil deflation patches in West Greenland. We measured all yellow-green Rhizocarpon sp. without identifying to the species level. Lichen diameter measurements were collected along transects perpendicular to the active margin of the erosional landform. We measured the long axis of the lichens using digital calipers.LichenDiameters_Heindel.xlsxDeflation Patch CharacteristicsLandscape position data for soil deflation landforms in West Greenland. Field measurements include scarp length, scarp height, and patch size. Elevation, aspect, slope, and distance to the Greenland Ice Sheet were calculated with imagery acquired from the Polar Geospatial Center. We calculated the patch expansion rate using the lichenometry dataset also available in this data package.PatchCharacteristics_Heindel.xlsx ... |
|---|