Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard
Blockfields remain enigmatic regarding their origin, internal structure, surface processes, and glaciological implications. In Scandinavia, blockfields are found on high-elevation, low-relief mountains (plateaus) across the Arctic and Subarctic. In this study, we present a 1D numerical model that us...
Published in: | Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
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ftoslouniv:oai:www.duo.uio.no:10852/103384 2023-09-05T13:17:49+02:00 Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard ENEngelskEnglishNear-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard Peter, Maria Andersen, Jane Lund Nixon, Francis Chantel Etzelmüller, Bernd Westermann, Sebastian Fredin, Ola 2023-02-25T14:26:10Z http://hdl.handle.net/10852/103384 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5528 EN eng Peter, Maria Andersen, Jane Lund Nixon, Francis Chantel Etzelmüller, Bernd Westermann, Sebastian Fredin, Ola . Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 2023, 48(5), 940-955 http://hdl.handle.net/10852/103384 2129191 info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.jtitle=Earth Surface Processes and Landforms&rft.volume=48&rft.spage=940&rft.date=2023 Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 48 5 940 955 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5528 Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ 0197-9337 Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed PublishedVersion 2023 ftoslouniv https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5528 2023-08-23T22:38:55Z Blockfields remain enigmatic regarding their origin, internal structure, surface processes, and glaciological implications. In Scandinavia, blockfields are found on high-elevation, low-relief mountains (plateaus) across the Arctic and Subarctic. In this study, we present a 1D numerical model that uses near-surface temperatures measured between summer 2018 and summer 2020 to calculate frost-cracking intensities (FCI) within the ground column in three different blockfields in Norway and Svalbard. Eighty-nine miniature temperature loggers were distributed on Tron Mountain (1650 m a.s.l.) in Alvdal, Gamlemsveten (780 m a.s.l.) near Ålesund in southwestern Norway and on Platåberget (460 m a.s.l.) near Longyearbyen, Svalbard. We modelled FCI by scaling the time spent in the frost cracking window (between −3 and −8°C) with the temperature gradient and a penalty function for distance to available water. At Tron and Gamlemsveten, ground temperatures never reached the frost cracking window at one third of our sites due to insulation by a thick snow cover in depressions and on the lee sides of summits. The highest FCI (0.05–0.4 K m) are obtained where the subsurface consists of boulders and stones in a matrix of relatively fine sediment (sand, silt, gravel). In contrast, very low FCI (0.003–0.02 K m) were modelled for blocky layers with large air-filled pores because of the low water availability. On Platåberget, all sensors reached the frost-cracking window during the annual temperature cycle, but FCI are extremely low (0.0004–0.15 K m) as water availability is limited due to (i) permafrost and (ii) near-surface temperatures remaining below the frost-cracking window for 3/4 of the year. This indicates that boulder-rich blockfields with air-filled hollows are preserved in very cold climates, whereas warmer, maritime settings with higher availability of fine interstitial material place blockfields in the fast lane for frost weathering. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Longyearbyen permafrost Subarctic Svalbard Universitet i Oslo: Digitale utgivelser ved UiO (DUO) Arctic Gamlemsveten ENVELOPE(6.317,6.317,62.575,62.575) Longyearbyen Norway Platåberget ENVELOPE(15.404,15.404,78.221,78.221) Svalbard Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 48 5 940 955 |
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Open Polar |
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Universitet i Oslo: Digitale utgivelser ved UiO (DUO) |
op_collection_id |
ftoslouniv |
language |
English |
description |
Blockfields remain enigmatic regarding their origin, internal structure, surface processes, and glaciological implications. In Scandinavia, blockfields are found on high-elevation, low-relief mountains (plateaus) across the Arctic and Subarctic. In this study, we present a 1D numerical model that uses near-surface temperatures measured between summer 2018 and summer 2020 to calculate frost-cracking intensities (FCI) within the ground column in three different blockfields in Norway and Svalbard. Eighty-nine miniature temperature loggers were distributed on Tron Mountain (1650 m a.s.l.) in Alvdal, Gamlemsveten (780 m a.s.l.) near Ålesund in southwestern Norway and on Platåberget (460 m a.s.l.) near Longyearbyen, Svalbard. We modelled FCI by scaling the time spent in the frost cracking window (between −3 and −8°C) with the temperature gradient and a penalty function for distance to available water. At Tron and Gamlemsveten, ground temperatures never reached the frost cracking window at one third of our sites due to insulation by a thick snow cover in depressions and on the lee sides of summits. The highest FCI (0.05–0.4 K m) are obtained where the subsurface consists of boulders and stones in a matrix of relatively fine sediment (sand, silt, gravel). In contrast, very low FCI (0.003–0.02 K m) were modelled for blocky layers with large air-filled pores because of the low water availability. On Platåberget, all sensors reached the frost-cracking window during the annual temperature cycle, but FCI are extremely low (0.0004–0.15 K m) as water availability is limited due to (i) permafrost and (ii) near-surface temperatures remaining below the frost-cracking window for 3/4 of the year. This indicates that boulder-rich blockfields with air-filled hollows are preserved in very cold climates, whereas warmer, maritime settings with higher availability of fine interstitial material place blockfields in the fast lane for frost weathering. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Peter, Maria Andersen, Jane Lund Nixon, Francis Chantel Etzelmüller, Bernd Westermann, Sebastian Fredin, Ola |
spellingShingle |
Peter, Maria Andersen, Jane Lund Nixon, Francis Chantel Etzelmüller, Bernd Westermann, Sebastian Fredin, Ola Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard |
author_facet |
Peter, Maria Andersen, Jane Lund Nixon, Francis Chantel Etzelmüller, Bernd Westermann, Sebastian Fredin, Ola |
author_sort |
Peter, Maria |
title |
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard |
title_short |
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard |
title_full |
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard |
title_fullStr |
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard |
title_full_unstemmed |
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard |
title_sort |
near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in norway and svalbard |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10852/103384 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5528 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(6.317,6.317,62.575,62.575) ENVELOPE(15.404,15.404,78.221,78.221) |
geographic |
Arctic Gamlemsveten Longyearbyen Norway Platåberget Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Gamlemsveten Longyearbyen Norway Platåberget Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Longyearbyen permafrost Subarctic Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Longyearbyen permafrost Subarctic Svalbard |
op_source |
0197-9337 |
op_relation |
Peter, Maria Andersen, Jane Lund Nixon, Francis Chantel Etzelmüller, Bernd Westermann, Sebastian Fredin, Ola . Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 2023, 48(5), 940-955 http://hdl.handle.net/10852/103384 2129191 info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.jtitle=Earth Surface Processes and Landforms&rft.volume=48&rft.spage=940&rft.date=2023 Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 48 5 940 955 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5528 |
op_rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5528 |
container_title |
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
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48 |
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5 |
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940 |
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955 |
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1776198838230450176 |