Permafrost Ecosystem Warming Prototype: Installation, Operation, and Initial Site Characterization

• Main Authors: Wagner, Anna M, Beede, Marc C, Zufelt, Jon E
• Other Authors: ENGINEER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER HANOVER NH COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Ecology; Mfg & Industrial Eng & Control of Product Sys; *ECOSYSTEMS; *PROTOTYPES; CLIMATE; COLD REGIONS; CONTROL; FAIRBANKS(ALASKA); FEEDBACK; GEOPHYSICS; GROUND LEVEL; HEAT; HEATERS; HEATING ELEMENTS; INSTALLATION; INTEGRATED SYSTEMS; PERMAFROST; PLOTTING; TEMPERATURE; ECOSYSTEM MANIPULATION; ARTIFICIAL THAWING; HEATING EXPERIMENT; Fairbanks; Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory; permafrost; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA593907; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA593907

A soil warming prototype was developed, installed, and tested to simulate increased soil temperature scenarios due to climate change using an automatically controlled heater array. The prototype was installed in a 30 30 m plot at a disturbed permafrost location at the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), Fairbanks Permafrost Experiment Station, Alaska. The warming system consisted of a hexagonal array of 127 vertically installed heating elements. Three heat zones within the array could be adjusted to a set point above the current ambient ground temperature. Using integrated feedback loops, the system was able to monitor real-time temperature data and automatically adjust the output of six separate heater circuits to maintain the desired set point. Scenarios of 2, 4, 6, and 8 C set points above ambient soil temperatures were successfully tested, and data indicated that temperatures could be tightly controlled. The report discusses the geophysical characteristics of the plot as well as installation and performance of the system. The original document contains color images.