Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago
Rapid development of a new drainage system was observed on Bylot Island. A 750‐m long gully system was eroded in four years. The process was initiated by the formation of sinkholes eroded in ice wedges by runoff flowing into open frost cracks. The sinkholes evolved into underground tunnels cut in th...
Published in: | Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
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Language: | unknown |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.595 |
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ftrepec:oai:RePEc:wly:perpro:v:18:y:2007:i:3:p:229-243 2023-05-15T14:28:51+02:00 Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago Daniel Fortier Michel Allard Yuri Shur https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.595 unknown https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.595 article ftrepec https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.595 2020-12-04T13:31:25Z Rapid development of a new drainage system was observed on Bylot Island. A 750‐m long gully system was eroded in four years. The process was initiated by the formation of sinkholes eroded in ice wedges by runoff flowing into open frost cracks. The sinkholes evolved into underground tunnels cut in the ice‐wedge network and the ice‐rich permafrost. Widening of tunnels was followed by subsidence and collapse of their roofs and the development of open gullies. The drainage generally developed as the shortest line along the regional slope with some deviations caused by collapse of blocks of soil which temporarily obstructed the water flow. Retrogressive scarps exposed to flowing water retreated at maximum rates of up to 5 m/day for a total of 15 to 50 m during the summer. Scarps exposed to atmospheric heat and solar radiation retreated between 2.5 and 40 m over four summers with a mean of 15.5 m. Such slopes had nearly stabilised after four years with a retreat rate of only a few centimetres per year in the last year of observation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Archipelago Arctic Bylot Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago Ice permafrost wedge* RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) Arctic Bylot Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 18 3 229 243 |
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Open Polar |
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RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) |
op_collection_id |
ftrepec |
language |
unknown |
description |
Rapid development of a new drainage system was observed on Bylot Island. A 750‐m long gully system was eroded in four years. The process was initiated by the formation of sinkholes eroded in ice wedges by runoff flowing into open frost cracks. The sinkholes evolved into underground tunnels cut in the ice‐wedge network and the ice‐rich permafrost. Widening of tunnels was followed by subsidence and collapse of their roofs and the development of open gullies. The drainage generally developed as the shortest line along the regional slope with some deviations caused by collapse of blocks of soil which temporarily obstructed the water flow. Retrogressive scarps exposed to flowing water retreated at maximum rates of up to 5 m/day for a total of 15 to 50 m during the summer. Scarps exposed to atmospheric heat and solar radiation retreated between 2.5 and 40 m over four summers with a mean of 15.5 m. Such slopes had nearly stabilised after four years with a retreat rate of only a few centimetres per year in the last year of observation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Daniel Fortier Michel Allard Yuri Shur |
spellingShingle |
Daniel Fortier Michel Allard Yuri Shur Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
author_facet |
Daniel Fortier Michel Allard Yuri Shur |
author_sort |
Daniel Fortier |
title |
Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
title_short |
Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
title_full |
Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
title_fullStr |
Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
title_full_unstemmed |
Observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on Bylot Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
title_sort |
observation of rapid drainage system development by thermal erosion of ice wedges on bylot island, canadian arctic archipelago |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.595 |
geographic |
Arctic Bylot Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Bylot Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago |
genre |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic Bylot Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago Ice permafrost wedge* |
genre_facet |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic Bylot Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago Ice permafrost wedge* |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.595 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.595 |
container_title |
Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
container_volume |
18 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
229 |
op_container_end_page |
243 |
_version_ |
1766302999991287808 |