Hydrometeorological measurements in peatland‐dominated, discontinuous permafrost at Scotty Creek, Northwest Territories, Canada

Abstract

The discontinuous permafrost region of northwestern Canada is experiencing rapid warming resulting in dramatic land cover change from forested peatland permafrost terrain to treeless wetlands. Extensive research has been conducted throughout this region to gain insight into how climate‐induced land cover change will impact water resources and ecosystem function. This paper presents a hydrological and micrometeorological dataset collected in the Scotty Creek basin, Northwest Territories, Canada over the period of 01 October 2014 to 30 September 2015, a sample of the intensive and coordinated measurements collected annually at this site. Micrometeorological data collected from four stations, one located in each of the land cover types representative of those comprising the Scotty Creek basin including bog, channel fen, stable peat plateau and peat plateau undergoing rapid permafrost degradation and loss, are presented. Monitored micrometeorological variables include incoming and outgoing shortwave and longwave radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, precipitation (rain and snow) and snow depth. Deep ground temperatures (~1–10 m below the ground surface) from a channel fen as well as disturbed sites common to the basin including a seismic line and winter road are presented. Water levels were also monitored in the representative land cover types over this period. This dataset is available from the Wilfrid Laurier University Library Research Data Repository (https://doi.org/10.5683/SP/OQDRJG) and can be used in coordination with other hydrological and micrometeorological datasets to examine spatio‐temporal effects of meteorological conditions on local hydrological responses across cold regions.

Long-term climate-influenced land cover change in discontinuous permafrost peatland complexes

“…Since the permafrost table beneath peat plateaus rises above the water surface of the adjacent wetlands, plateaus function as "permafrost dams" that prevent wetlands from draining. Permafrost thaw therefore removes this effect and enables previously impounded wetlands to partially drain until the hydraulic gradient driving their partial drainage reaches an equilibrium state (Haynes et al, 2020). The slow release of water from the long-term storage of wetlands no longer impounded by permafrost changes the physical and ecological characteristics and hydrological function of these wetlands (Haynes et al, 2020).…”

“…Permafrost thaw therefore removes this effect and enables previously impounded wetlands to partially drain until the hydraulic gradient driving their partial drainage reaches an equilibrium state (Haynes et al, 2020). The slow release of water from the long-term storage of wetlands no longer impounded by permafrost changes the physical and ecological characteristics and hydrological function of these wetlands (Haynes et al, 2020). Such drainage transforms the uniformly wet Sphagnum lawns that characterize impounded wetlands, into hummocky surfaces that provide a wider range of near-surface moisture conditions, including those sufficiently dry to support the regrowth of trees (Haynes et al, 2020).…”

“…The slow release of water from the long-term storage of wetlands no longer impounded by permafrost changes the physical and ecological characteristics and hydrological function of these wetlands (Haynes et al, 2020). Such drainage transforms the uniformly wet Sphagnum lawns that characterize impounded wetlands, into hummocky surfaces that provide a wider range of near-surface moisture conditions, including those sufficiently dry to support the regrowth of trees (Haynes et al, 2020). There is also evidence that, when black spruce forest is lost due to permafrost thaw and plateau inundation, forest regeneration does not depend on the regeneration of permafrost (Haynes et al, 2020;Chasmer and Hopkinson, 2017).…”

“…Such drainage transforms the uniformly wet Sphagnum lawns that characterize impounded wetlands, into hummocky surfaces that provide a wider range of near-surface moisture conditions, including those sufficiently dry to support the regrowth of trees (Haynes et al, 2020). There is also evidence that, when black spruce forest is lost due to permafrost thaw and plateau inundation, forest regeneration does not depend on the regeneration of permafrost (Haynes et al, 2020;Chasmer and Hopkinson, 2017). For example, treeless collapse scars have transformed into black spruce forest within 2-3 decades after the permafrost dams disappear (Haynes et al, 2018).…”

The trajectory of landcover change in peatland complexes with discontinuous permafrost, northwestern Canada

“…Discussion started: 22 September 2020 c Author(s) 2020. CC BY 4.0 License.Four component radiation data were collected at the dense plateau, sparse plateau, and wetland meteorological stations, while only shortwave radiation was collected at the intermediate 310 plateau station Haynes et al (2019). thoroughly summarize the instrumentation within the ScottyCreek basin.…”