Climate change and permafrost impacts on High Arctic watershed fluxes: Cape Bounty, Melville Island, experimental watershed observatory

• Main Authors: Lamoureux, Scott, Simpson, Andre, Lamoureux, Linda, Lafrenière, Melissa, Simpson, Myrna, Scott, Neal, Treitz, Paul, Francus, Pierre
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Cryospheric Information Network 2012
• Subjects: Cape Bounty; Climate change; Greenhouse gas; Hydrology; Melville Island; Permafrost; Remote sensing data; Sediments; Vegetation; Watershed; International Polar Year-Climate change and permafrost impacts on High Arctic watershed fluxes Cape Bounty, Melville Island experimental watershed observatory; Arctic; Nunavut; ArcticNet; Ice; International Polar Year; IPY; permafrost
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5443/11361; https://www.polardata.ca/pdcsearch/?doi_id=11361

Research at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory (CBAWO), Melville Island, Nunavut (74º54' N, 109º35' W) is investigating how climate change will affect High Arctic rivers, soils and vegetation to provide an unprecedented understanding of the hydrological and ecosystem processes that are sensitive to climate change, and also to predict and anticipate future effects. Climate can change the amount of water available through the amount of snowfall that is present during the spring. During the IPY years we have intensively examined how different snowpack and soil temperature conditions affect the spring melt, the amount of sediment and soil erosion, the growth of plants, and the release of dissolved nutrients and greenhouse gases. We will further link our field observations with satellite remote sensing of vegetation cover. We experimentally increased the amount of snow in small areas using snow fences, and compared observations between these sites and locations with unaltered snow cover. We also investigated these processes in areas where the permafrost has been disturbed and where soil disruption is intense. Finally, by studying the delivery of sediment and other materials to lakes and recovering sediments from the lakes, we will reconstruct past changes in landscape and ecosystem processes to identify what changes have already occurred. This project represents a major multidisciplinary integrated study of the hydrological, geomorphic, soil and plant systems combined with leading edge determinations of water chemistry and nutrient and gas release. At the end of the IPY period, the results from Cape Bounty will represent the longest, most comprehensive source of data to understand the processes and impacts that climate change will have on High Arctic landscapes and rivers. We have undertaken a number of efforts to integrate our research within the group, with IPY core groups, and with additional researchers. We have maintained strong working connections and attended workshops with the CiCAT IPY project and our international IPY partner groups (ACCONET, SEDIBUD, ITEX). We have also established strong working relationships with ArcticNet researchers that have resulted in sharing data sets, coordinated sampling, and analysis of results. All of these activities have significantly expanded the scope and comprehensiveness of our research program, and maximized the accessibility and value of the data we have collected. : Purpose: High latitude climate has experienced substantial climate warming during the last century, and global circulation models predict significant changes with respect to both temperature and precipitation. These changes will have profound impacts on Arctic hydrological regimes. These changes in hydrology will also lead to changes in soil biogeochemical processes and physical movement of elements associated with sediment, having a major impact on the quantity and quality of surface waters. These biogeochemical changes will also impact aquatic ecosystems (e.g., fisheries) and the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., vegetation, animals). These hydrological changes will affect the fundamental supply and quality of water in northern landscapes, and will have knock-on ecological effects with long-term consequences for northern communities and ecosystems. Additionally, as material flow of sediment, nutrients, carbon and contaminants will be altered, the impact of climate change on terrestrial hydrology will ultimately affect land-ocean material exchanges and the global climate system. Hence, while there is a critical need to understand climate change impacts on watershed hydrology and material fluxes, to date, little of this multidisciplinary research has been done. By combining these issues in an intensive integrated research framework during the International Polar Year (IPY) period, we are working to address major knowledge gaps and significantly advance Arctic watershed science by integrating this knowledge into suitable watershed models and to develop indicators of change for residents and government organizations. This work forms an innovative multidisciplinary project that will provide unprecedented insight into the interaction of different water, land and ecosystem components, and contributes to a number of diverse international IPY initiatives including international IPY projects: Arctic HYDRA, ITEX and ACCO Net. Research results will provide key baseline information and will address key uncertainties regarding the response of Arctic watersheds to climate change to improve adaptation and management strategies. : Summary: Snowfall serves as the main source of water in the High Arctic and climate models suggest there could be substantial increases in snowfall in the region in the years to come. Through research on rivers, soil, vegetation, snow, ice and permafrost, this project is investigating the current state of hydrological and ecological systems in the High Arctic. Specifically, differences in snowpack, soil temperatures and on snowmelt and their association with sediments, soil erosion, plant growth and dissolved nutrients and greenhouse gas release are being examined. By manipulating snow accumulation, investigating areas of permafrost and soil disturbance, using remote sensing and collecting lake sediment, an overall picture of the past and current state of the land and water systems in the High Arctic is being gained, information that will then feed into predicting, through the development of models, how this landscape will change in the future.