The Arctic covers about 20% of the planet.
The Arctic covers about 20% of the planet. But almost everything hydrologists know about the carbon-rich soils blanketing its permafrost comes from very few measurements taken just feet from Alaska’s Dalton Highway.
The small sample size is a problem, particularly for scientists studying the role of Arctic hydrology on climate change. Permafrost soils hold vast amounts of carbon, which could turn into greenhouse gasses. But the lack of data makes it difficult to predict what will happen to water and carbon as the permafrost melts due to warming temperatures.
New research led by scientists at The University of Texas at Austin may help solve that problem.
The scientists spent the past four summers measuring permafrost soils across a 5,000 square-mile swath of Alaska’s North Slope, an area about the size of Connecticut. While working to buildup a much-needed soil dataset, their measurements revealed an important pattern: The hydrologic properties of different permafrost soil types are very consistent and can be predicted based on the surrounding landscape.
Read more at University Of Texas At Austin
Photo: Michael O’Connor (left) and Stephen Ferencz sampling permafrost soil on Alaska’s North Slope. Both have since earned their doctoral degrees from the Jackson School. Credit: Bayani Cardenas.
