Spatial distribution and controls of permafrost development in non-glacial Arctic catchment over the Holocene, Fuglebekken, SW Spitsbergen

Glazer, Michał; Dobiński, Wojciech; Marciniak, Artur; Majdański, Mariusz; Błaszczyk, Małgorzata

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107128

Cited by 15 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…The unconsolidated sedimentary rock contains a high proportion of pore spaces; consequently, they can accumulate a large volume of pore-water or pore-ice. From meteorological records, the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) at the testing site was historically below the freezing point, but more recently and due to a trend of climate warming, the MAAT recorded in 2016 is approaching 0 • C (Glazer et al, 2020). Glazer et al (2020) performed both seismic surveys (MASW test) and electrical resistivity investigations at the site in October 2017 to study the evolution and formation of permafrost considering surface watercourses and marine terrace.…”

Section: Case Study For Characterization Of a Permafrost Site Using Surface Wave Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

“…From meteorological records, the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) at the testing site was historically below the freezing point, but more recently and due to a trend of climate warming, the MAAT recorded in 2016 is approaching 0 • C (Glazer et al, 2020). Glazer et al (2020) performed both seismic surveys (MASW test) and electrical resistivity investigations at the site in October 2017 to study the evolution and formation of permafrost considering surface watercourses and marine terrace. The MASW test was performed by using the geophone receivers distributed at 2 m spacing.…”

Section: Case Study For Characterization Of a Permafrost Site Using Surface Wave Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, techniques such as remote sensing (Bhuiyan et al, 2020;Witharana et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2018), and ground penetrating radar (GPR) (Christiansen et al, 2016;Munroe et al, 2007;Williams et al, 2011) have been used to detect ice-wedge formations within the permafrost layers. Also, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has been extensively used to qualitatively detect pore-ice or segregated ice in permafrost based on the correlation between the electrical conductivity and the physical properties of permafrost (e.g., unfrozen water content and ice content) (Glazer et al, 2020;Hauck, 2013;Scapozza et al, 2011;You et al, 2013). The apparent resistivity measurement by ERT is higher in areas having high ice contents (You et al, 2013); however, at high resistivity gradients, the inversion results become less reliable, especially for the investigation of permafrost base (Hilbich et al, 2009;Marescot et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Non-destructive seismic testing, including multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) (Dou and Ajo-Franklin, 2014;Glazer et al, 2020), passive seismic test with ambient seismic noise (James et al, 2019;Overduin et al, 2015), seismic reflection (Brothers et al, 2016), and seismic refraction method (Wagner et al, 2019) have been previously employed to map the permafrost layer based on the measurement of shear wave velocity. In the current seismic testing practice, it is commonly considered that the permafrost layer (frozen soil) is associated with a higher shear wave velocity due to the presence of ice in comparison to unfrozen ground.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seismic physics-based characterization of permafrost sites using surface waves

Liu

Maghoul

Shalaby

2021

Preprint

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Abstract. The adverse effects of climate warming on the built environment in (sub)arctic regions are unprecedented and accelerating. Planning and design of climate-resilient northern infrastructure as well as predicting deterioration of permafrost from climate model simulations require characterizing permafrost sites accurately and efﬁciently. Here, we propose a novel algorithm for analysis of surface waves to quantitatively estimate the physical and mechanical properties of a permafrost site. We show the existence of two types of Rayleigh waves (R1 and R2; R1 travels relatively faster than R2). The R2 wave velocity is highly sensitive to the physical properties (e.g., unfrozen water content, ice content, and porosity) of permafrost or soil layers while it is less sensitive to their mechanical properties (e.g., shear modulus and bulk modulus). The R1 wave velocity, on the other hand, depends strongly on the soil type and mechanical properties of permafrost or soil layers. In-situ surface wave measurements revealed the experimental dispersion relations of both types of Rayleigh waves from which relevant properties of a permafrost site can be derived by means of our proposed hybrid inverse and multi-phase poromechanical approach. Our study demonstrates the potential of surface wave techniques coupled with our proposed data-processing algorithm to characterize a permafrost site more accurately. Our proposed technique can be used in early detection and warning systems to monitor infrastructure impacted by permafrost-related geohazards, and to detect the presence of layers vulnerable to permafrost carbon feedback and emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

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Section: Case Study For Characterization Of a Permafrost Site Using Surface Wave Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Case Study For Characterization Of a Permafrost Site Using Surface Wave Techniquementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seismic physics-based characterization of permafrost sites using surface waves

Liu

Maghoul

Shalaby

2021

Preprint

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“…However, Western Spitsbergen has been experiencing a substantial warming over the most recent years, reaching an average increase in temperature of 3.4-4.6 • C (1971-2015), particularly in winter [24]. Consequently, the coast of Spitsbergen might be already covered only by discontinuous permafrost or permafrost in a cryotic state [25][26][27].…”

Section: Research Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Deglaciation Rate of Selected Nunataks in Spitsbergen, Svalbard—Potential for Permafrost Expansion above the Glacial Environment

Szafraniec

Dobiński

2020

Geosciences

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Spitsbergen has recently experienced a continuous deglaciation process, linked to both glacier front retreat and lowering of the glacier surface. This process is accompanied by permafrost aggradation from the top of the slopes down to the glacier. Here, the authors determine the rate of permafrost expansion in this type of vertical profile. To this end, seven nunataks across the island were analysed using Landsat satellite imagery, a high-resolution digital elevation model (ArcticDEM), and geoinformation software. Over the last 24–31 years, new nunataks gradually emerged from the ice cover at an average linear rate of 0.06 m a−1 per degree of increment of the slope of the terrain at an average altitude of approximately 640 m a.s.l. The analysis showed that the maximum rate of permafrost expansion down the slope was positively correlated with the average nunatak elevation, reaching a value of approximately 10,000 m2 a−1. In cold climates, with a mean annual air temperature (MAAT) below 0 °C, newly exposed land is occupied by active periglacial environments, causing permafrost aggradation. Therefore, both glacial and periglacial environments are changing over time concomitantly, with permafrost aggradation occurring along and around the glacier, wherever the MAAT is negative.

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Variations of permafrost under freezing and thawing conditions in the coastal catchment Fuglebekken (Hornsund, Spitsbergen, Svalbard)

Majdański

Dobiński

Marciniak

et al. 2022

Permafrost & Periglacial

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Two seismic field surveys were organized in the Fuglebekken coastal catchment of Hornsund, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, to map frozen and unfrozen ground and assess the spatial and temporal state of the permafrost. Surveys were conducted during maximum thawing in September and maximum freezing in April of the following year. The obtained seismic wavefields were interpreted using three methods: the dispersion of surface waves, seismic refraction, and travel time tomography. The seismic experiments were supported by nearby boreholes with continuous thermal monitoring. In the frozen survey, a gradual increase in ice content of water-filled sediments was found, farther from the coast. In September the shallow sensors in the boreholes validated positive ground temperatures down to 3.0 m depth, with below-zero temperatures at greater depths. However, seismic tomography indicated that the ground was unfrozen down to 30 m. The ground probably remained unfrozen due to intrusion of high-salinity seawater, even though it had been below 0 C. In April, in the area 300 m and farther from the coast, the ground below 3 m depth was frozen, except for a 19-m-deep open talik identified in a borehole at the slope of Fugle Mountain.We attribute the complex spatial extent, form, and condition of permafrost in the Fuglebekken coastal catchment to multiple factors, including variable solar energy, snow and ground cover, thermal and humidity properties of the soil, subsurface water flow, and seawater intrusion. The presented combination of seismic methods provides a new robust and precise approach to assess the spatial variability of permafrost in a coastal environment. The proposed interpretation shows deep percolation of subsurface flow into permafrost and its seasonal unfreezing at a depth of 30 m in both the zone of saltwater intrusion and the slope area.

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Spatial distribution and controls of permafrost development in non-glacial Arctic catchment over the Holocene, Fuglebekken, SW Spitsbergen

Cited by 15 publications

References 52 publications

Seismic physics-based characterization of permafrost sites using surface waves

Seismic physics-based characterization of permafrost sites using surface waves

Deglaciation Rate of Selected Nunataks in Spitsbergen, Svalbard—Potential for Permafrost Expansion above the Glacial Environment

Variations of permafrost under freezing and thawing conditions in the coastal catchment Fuglebekken (Hornsund, Spitsbergen, Svalbard)

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