Permeability of active layer sediments and groundwater runoff in Brattegg River catchment, SW Spitsbergen

This paper presents the permeability of the permafrost active layer determined in the Brattegg River catchment (SW Spitsbergen) for the 6-years interval of 2005–2010. The field permeability measurements technique of weathered rocks on various geomorphological forms allows to assess the value of thei...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polish Polar Research
Main Authors: Mirosław Wąsik, Henryk Marszałek, Michał Rysiukiewicz
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Polish Academy of Sciences 2022
Subjects:
arctic
svalbard
active layer aquifer
groundwater runoff
Geology
QE1-996.5
Arctic
Svalbard
permafrost
Polar Research
Spitsbergen
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.24425/ppr.2022.143315
https://doaj.org/article/20ae94bec6a04f1a95fca27da298b81a
Description
Summary:This paper presents the permeability of the permafrost active layer determined in the Brattegg River catchment (SW Spitsbergen) for the 6-years interval of 2005–2010. The field permeability measurements technique of weathered rocks on various geomorphological forms allows to assess the value of their hydraulic conductivity ( k). High variability of k values, ranging from 6.37 10 −9 to 4.0 10 −3 m s −1, indicates the permeability of rocks from very low in clay to very high in gravel-rock rubble. Among the geomorphological forms, the best permeability was observed in boulder covers and rock debris, and the lowest one in patterned ground. The obtained results were used to determine the groundwater runoff ( q), assuming the unit thickness of the active layer aquifer. The q value from the Brattegg River catchment was calculated at 130 L s−1, which is from 15% to 47% of the average surface runoff.

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