Permafrost and groundwater interaction: current state and future perspective

Abstract

This study reviews the available and published knowledge of the interactions between permafrost and groundwater. In its content, the paper focuses mainly on groundwater recharge and discharge in the Arctic and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The study revealed that the geochemical composition of groundwater is site-specific and varies significantly within the depth of the aquifers reflecting the water-rock interactions and related geological history. All reviewed studies clearly indicated that the permafrost thaw causes an increase in groundwater discharge on land. Furthermore, progressing climate warming is likely to accelerate permafrost degradation and thus enhance hydrological connectivity due to increased subpermafrost groundwater flow through talik channels and higher suprapermafrost groundwater flow. In the case of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), permafrost thaw can either reinforce or reduce SGD, depending on how much pressure changes affecting the aquifers will be caused by the loss of permafrost. Finally, this comprehensive assessment allowed also for identifying the lack of long-term and interdisciplinary in situ measurements that could be used in sophisticated computational simulations characterizing the current status and predicting groundwater flow and permafrost dynamics in the future warmer climate.

Revealing permafrost continuity across a northern watershed with airborne electromagnetics

“…The distribution of permafrost within the bedrock is hypothesized to be at least partially controlled by local structural geology, with fractures, joints, and faults controlling the heat flux carried by groundwater within the bedrock. Permafrost may impede groundwater flow, hence preserving permafrost as reduced heat flux moves through the subsurface, while at the same time, permafrost degradation may be increased where groundwater flow occurs (e.g., Kane et al, 2012;Walvoord and Kurylyk, 2016;Diak et al, 2023).…”

A cold case, reducing the uncertainty in permafrost models and observations

“…There are also concerns about the impact of increasing DOC transport to the surface and the subsequent release into the atmosphere of more greenhouse gasses. However, the effectiveness of the transport and release of DOC as greenhouse gasses is currently one of the important unknowns in permafrost studies (Diak et al, 2023;Mohammed et al, 2022).…”