Active layer hydrology for Imnavait Creek, Toolik, Alaska

In the annual hydrologic cycle, snowmelt is the most significant event at Imnavait Creek located near Toolik Lake, Alaska. Precipitation that has accumulated for more than 6 months on the surface melts in a relatively short period of 7 to 10 days once sustained melting occurs. During the ablation pe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kane, D.L.
Other Authors: United States. Department of Energy.
Format: Report
Language:English
Published: Alaska Univ., Fairbanks, AK (United States). Water Research Center 1986
Subjects:
Heat Flux
Alaska
Progress Report
Document Types
Polar Regions
Arctic Regions
Atmospheric Precipitations
Surface Waters
Hydrology
Meteorology
Chemistry
Runoff
Streams
Usa 540210* > Environment
Terrestrial > Basic Studies > (1990-)
Mass Transfer
Watersheds
Water Chemistry
Environmental Transport
Snow
North America
54 Environmental Sciences
Developed Countries
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2172/7076796
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1194244/
Description
Summary:In the annual hydrologic cycle, snowmelt is the most significant event at Imnavait Creek located near Toolik Lake, Alaska. Precipitation that has accumulated for more than 6 months on the surface melts in a relatively short period of 7 to 10 days once sustained melting occurs. During the ablation period, runoff dominates the hydrologic cycle. Some meltwater goes to rewetting the organic soils in the active layer. The remainder is lost primarily because of evaporation, since transpiration is not a very active process at this time. Following the snowmelt period, evapotranspiration becomes the dominate process, with base flow contributing the other watershed losses. It is important to note that the water initally lost by evapotranspiration entered the organic layer during melt. This water from the snowpack ensures that each year the various plant communities will have sufficient water to start a new summer of growth.

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