Climate warming and permafrost dynamics in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Bockheim, James G.; Vieira, Gonçalo; Ramos, Miguel; López-Martı́nez, Jerónimo; Cañadas, Enrique Serrano; Guglielmin, Mauro; Wilhelm, Kelly; Nieuwendam, Alexandre

doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2012.10.018

Cited by 149 publications

(130 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…but discontinuous permafrost has been detected at elevations between 20 and 40 m a.s.l. and continuous permafrost regime exists at higher altitudes (Serrano, 2003;Serrano et al, 2008;Ramos et al, 2009;Vieira et al, 2010;Bockheim et al, 2013). Even in areas where the thermal regime of the ground is characterized by seasonal frost, periglacial processes are widespread in all ice-free areas in Maritime Antarctica, with a wide range of landforms and processes showing intense activity.…”

Section: Permafrost Distribution Based On Geomorphological Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even in areas where the thermal regime of the ground is characterized by seasonal frost, periglacial processes are widespread in all ice-free areas in Maritime Antarctica, with a wide range of landforms and processes showing intense activity. In some areas in the SSI permafrost-related features, such as protalus lobes and rock glaciers, have been detected at almost sea level, as well as other features indicative of the presence of ground ice (Bockheim and Hall, 2002;Serrano and López-Martínez, 2000;Serrano et al, 2008;Bockheim et al, 2013). Near Byers Peninsula, in the close ice-free peninsula of Elephant Point, an ice-cored moraine and thermokarst processes undergoing a process of degradation are distributed at elevations below 5 m a.s.l.…”

Section: Permafrost Distribution Based On Geomorphological Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Permafrost in Antarctica is both present in ice-free areas of Maritime (Vieira et al, 2010;Bockheim et al, 2013) and Continental Antarctica (Bockheim and Hall, 2002), as well as beneath the ice-sheet where subglacial permafrost exists (Bockheim and Hall, 2002). However, it is in ice-free environments of Maritime Antarctic where permafrost conditions are found in boundary climatic conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of frozen ground conditions along a coastal topographic gradient at Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica) by geophysical and geoecological methods

Correia

Oliva

Fernández

2017

CATENA

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Geophysical surveying and geoelectrical methods are effective to study permafrost distribution and conditions in polar environments. Geoelectrical methods are particularly suited to study the spatial distribution of permafrost because of its high electrical resistivity in comparison with that of soil or rock above 0°C. In the South Shetland Islands permafrost is considered to be discontinuous up to elevations of 20-40 m a.s.l., changing to continuous at higher altitudes. There are no specific data about the distribution of permafrost in Byers Peninsula, in Livingston Island, which is the largest ice-free area in the South Shetland Islands. With the purpose of better understanding the occurrence of permanent frozen conditions in this area, a geophysical survey using an electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) methodology was conducted during the January 2015 field season, combined with geomorphological and ecological studies. Three overlapping electrical resistivity tomographies of 78 m each were done along the same profile which ran from the coast to the highest raised beaches. The three electrical resistivity tomographies are combined in an electrical resistivity model which represents the distribution of the electrical resistivity of the ground to depths of about 13 m along 158 m. Several patches of high electrical resistivity were found, and interpreted as patches of sporadic permafrost. The lower limits of sporadic to discontinuous permafrost in the area are confirmed by the presence of permafrost-related landforms nearby. There is a close correspondence between moss patches and permafrost patches along the geoelectrical transect.

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Section: Permafrost Distribution Based On Geomorphological Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Permafrost Distribution Based On Geomorphological Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluation of frozen ground conditions along a coastal topographic gradient at Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica) by geophysical and geoecological methods

Correia

Oliva

Fernández

2017

CATENA

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“…Numerosas áreas libres de hielo se distribuyen en las islas Shetland del Sur (ISS), situadas en la Antártida marítima, donde las temperaturas medias anuales a nivel del mar oscilan entre -1 y -2 °C (Bockheim et al, 2013). En este archipiélago, pequeñas variaciones en los valores medios de temperatura y/o precipitación pueden conllevar cambios significativos en los balances de masa glaciar (Navarro et al, 2013;Osmanoglu et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

La deglaciación de las áreas libres de hielo de las islas Shetland del Sur (Antártida). Ejemplos de Byers (Livingston) y Barton (King George)

Oliva

Antoniades

Giralt³

et al. 2016

CyG

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The process of deglaciation of the present-day ice-free environments in the Maritime Antarctica has profound geomorphological and ecological implications. However, the timing of glacier retreat is still poorly understood. This is the case of the deglaciated areas existing in Byers (Livingston Island) and Barton (King George Island) peninsulas. The dating of the basal sediments collected from different lakes in these two peninsulas allowed inferences of the ages of formation of each lake. The integration of these ages enables the reconstruction ofthe spatial and temporal pattern of deglaciation of these areas. The chronological framework has been establishedusing two complementary techniques: radiocarbon and thermoluminescence dating. In both peninsulas the deglaciation started during the Early Holocene, around 8 ka cal BP. The areas located far away from the current ice domes and the highest peaks in the two peninsulas (nunataks) were the first areas to become ice -free. During the mid-Holocene (5-6 ka cal BP) the central part of these peninsulas was progressively deglaciated. Finally, during the Late Holocene glacier fronts remained confined to the current position defined by the present frontal moraines, with minor advances and retreats.

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“…While glaciers and ice-shelves are being monitoring to evaluate the effects of climate change, permafrost, an important component of the Antarctic cryosphere has been largely neglected and only recently started to be monitored systematically (Vieira et al, 2010;Bockheim et al, 2013). Permafrost, which occupies only 0.36% (49,800 km 2 ) of the Antarctic region, is present beneath virtually all ice-free terrain, except at the lowest elevations of the maritime Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands (Ramos et al, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local influences of geothermal anomalies on permafrost distribution in an active volcanic island (Deception Island, Antarctica)

et al. 2014

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This study aims at understanding the spatial distribution and characteristics of the frozen and unfrozen terrain in an alluvial fan on Deception Island, which is an active strato-volcano located in the Bransfield Strait (South Shetland Islands) with recent eruptions in 1967, 1969 and 1970. The alluvial fan is dominated by debris-flow, run-off and rock fall processes and permafrost occurs in several parts in the vicinity of anomalous geothermal heat flux. The aim is to assess the ways volcanic activity controls permafrost development and associated geomorphic dynamics using shallow subsurface, surface and air temperature measurements as well as thaw depth and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys. Results show a temperature increase with depth in the lower part of the fan reaching 13°C at 0.80 m depth, without the presence of permafrost. The shallow borehole located at this site showed a stable thermal stratification all year-round, with only the upper 0.20 m reacting to meteorological forcing. In the upper part of the alluvial fan and debris cones, c. 100 m from the coast, frozen ground is present at c. 0.70 m depth. There, the shallow borehole shows a good coupling with air temperatures and the thermal regime favours the presence of permafrost. ERT shows the lowest resistivity values in the lower part of the alluvial fan and a highly resistivity zone in the upper sector of the fan and in the debris cones. These large variations in resistivity mark the presence of a saline water wedge from the sea into the fan, reaching frozen ground conditions about 100 m inland. It can be shown that the volcano-hydrothermal activity only inhibits frost development very locally, with frozen ground conditions occurring about 100 m away.

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Climate warming and permafrost dynamics in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Cited by 149 publications

References 33 publications

Evaluation of frozen ground conditions along a coastal topographic gradient at Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica) by geophysical and geoecological methods

Evaluation of frozen ground conditions along a coastal topographic gradient at Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, Antarctica) by geophysical and geoecological methods

La deglaciación de las áreas libres de hielo de las islas Shetland del Sur (Antártida). Ejemplos de Byers (Livingston) y Barton (King George)

Local influences of geothermal anomalies on permafrost distribution in an active volcanic island (Deception Island, Antarctica)

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