Smith, S L; Romanovsky, Vladimir E; Lewkowicz, Antoni G; Burn, C R; Allard, Maël; Clow, Gary D; Yoshikawa, Kenji; Throop, J (2010): Active layer thickness and ground temperatures during 1991-2008 at permafrost sites in northern North America [dataset publication series]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.837173, Supplement to: Smith, SL et al. (2010): Thermal state of permafrost in North America: a contribution to the international polar year. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 21(2), 117-135, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.690
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Abstract:
A snapshot of the thermal state of permafrost in northern North America during the International Polar Year (IPY) was developed using ground temperature data collected from 350 boreholes. More than half these were established during IPY to enhance the network in sparsely monitored regions. The measurement sites span a diverse range of ecoclimatic and geological conditions across the continent and are at various elevations within the Cordillera. The ground temperatures within the discontinuous permafrost zone are generally above -3°C, and range down to - 15°C in the continuous zone. Ground temperature envelopes vary according to substrate, with shallow depths of zero annual amplitude for peat and mineral soils, and much greater depths for bedrock. New monitoring sites in the mountains of southern and central Yukon suggest that permafrost may be limited in extent. In concert with regional air temperatures, permafrost has generally been warming across North America for the past several decades, as indicated by measurements from the western Arctic since the 1970s and from parts of eastern Canada since the early 1990s. The rates of ground warming have been variable, but are generally greater north of the treeline. Latent heat effects in the southern discontinuous zone dominate the permafrost thermal regime close to 0°C and allow permafrost to persist under a warming climate. Consequently, the spatial diversity of permafrost thermal conditions is decreasing over time.
Project(s):
Coverage:
Median Latitude: 63.079000 * Median Longitude: -98.392500 * South-bound Latitude: 56.550000 * West-bound Longitude: -134.900000 * North-bound Latitude: 69.700000 * East-bound Longitude: -65.990000
Comment:
Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)
Size:
2 datasets
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Datasets listed in this publication series
- Smith, SL; Romanovsky, VE; Lewkowicz, AG et al. (2010): (Table 2) Active layer thickness for 2007, and mean, maximum and minimum values for 1991-2007 for Canadian CALM sites. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.837170
- Smith, SL; Romanovsky, VE; Lewkowicz, AG et al. (2010): (Table 3) Active layer thickness and change in ground temperature from 1993-2008 for borehole sites in northern Quebec, Canada. https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.837172