Water Discharge in the Colville River, 1962

Responses of an arctic landscape to Lateglacial and early Holocene climatic changes: the importance of moisture

“…The major runoff event of the year on the North Slope is the snowmelt flood (Arnborg et al, 1966;Carter et al, 1987;; however, frozen soils restrict erosion during snowmelt, and summer rainstorms probably cause most erosion on slopes. This is also true for the beds of smaller streams where bottom-fast ice and frozen sediments armor channels during snowmelt (Scott, 1978).…”

Permafrost hydrology in North America1

“…The limited storage capacity of the active layer yields little water so that most channels are frozen dry. Even some large rivers in the zone of continuous permafrost cease to flow after freeze-up (Arnborg et al, 1966;Day and Anderson, 1976). Little ice remains along the channel except where pools occur.…”

The Sagavanirktok River, North Slope Alaska; characterization of an Arctic stream

“…When the ice first begins to melt, it is free of sediment, but as flow is initiated and increases, the amount of sediment contributed from hillslope runoff builds on the icy surface, eventually covering it During these first stages, water is unable to seep under the ice, but as fractures develop, seepage is common. Large pieces of bottom ice eventually float to the surface bringing with them adhering stream-bottom sediments (Arnborg et al, 1966). Break-up begins in the upper reaches of the river and its tributaries because this zone is warmer and more sunny.…”

“…A number of rivers drain sequences of marine and continental sedimentary rocks on the northern side of the Brooks Range. The Colville River is the largest river on the North Slope with a total drainage area of approximately 50,000 km (19,305 mi ) and a length of nearly 600 km (373 mi) (Arnborg et al, 1966 andArnborg et al, 1967). The Sagavanirktok is the second largest river.…”

“…The break-up period generally begins in late-May when the water first begins to appear on the icy surface of the stream. Over the next few days, the water accumulates to a depth of 1 m (3 ft) before it begins to flow on the surface (Arnborg et al, 1966). When the ice first begins to melt, it is free of sediment, but as flow is initiated and increases, the amount of sediment contributed from hillslope runoff builds on the icy surface, eventually covering it During these first stages, water is unable to seep under the ice, but as fractures develop, seepage is common.…”