Topic
Ice wedge
About: Ice wedge is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 681 publications have been published within this topic receiving 17457 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
1 / 2
Papers
University of Alaska Fairbanks1, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research2, Alaska Department of Natural Resources3, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology4, Russian Academy of Sciences5, Southwest Research Institute6, Los Alamos National Laboratory7, San Diego State University8, University of Sheffield9
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors use field and remote sensing observations to document polygon succession due to ice-wedge degradation and trough development in ten Arctic localities over subdecadal timescales.
Abstract: Ice wedges are common features of the subsurface in permafrost regions. They develop by repeated frost cracking and ice vein growth over hundreds to thousands of years. Ice-wedge formation causes the archetypal polygonal patterns seen in tundra across the Arctic landscape. Here we use field and remote sensing observations to document polygon succession due to ice-wedge degradation and trough development in ten Arctic localities over sub-decadal timescales. Initial thaw drains polygon centres and forms disconnected troughs that hold isolated ponds. Continued ice-wedge melting leads to increased trough connectivity and an overall draining of the landscape. We find that melting at the tops of ice wedges over recent decades and subsequent decimetre-scale ground subsidence is a widespread Arctic phenomenon. Although permafrost temperatures have been increasing gradually, we find that ice-wedge degradation is occurring on sub-decadal timescales. Our hydrological model simulations show that advanced ice-wedge degradation can significantly alter the water balance of lowland tundra by reducing inundation and increasing runoff, in particular due to changes in snow distribution as troughs form. We predict that ice-wedge degradation and the hydrological changes associated with the resulting differential ground subsidence will expand and amplify in rapidly warming permafrost regions. The polygonal patterns in permafrost regions are caused by the formation of ice wedges. Observations of polygon evolution reveal that rapid ice-wedge melting has occurred across the Arctic since 1950, altering tundra hydrology.
726 citations
Cardiff University1, University of Alberta2, University Centre in Svalbard3, University of Oslo4, University of Zurich5, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology6, Norwegian Meteorological Institute7, University of Tsukuba8, University of Sussex9, University of Edinburgh10, University of Helsinki11, ETH Zurich12
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the changing state of European permafrost within a spatial zone that includes the continuous high latitude arctic permfrost of Svalbard and the discontinuous high altitude mountain permaffrost of Iceland, Fennoscandia and the Alps.
687 citations
1 Jan 1962
588 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the formation of basal ice crystal structure is discussed, incuding the large crystal multi-maxima fabric ice and its flow properties, and results for uniaxial compression and simple shear are presented.
481 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors installed more than 135 ice thickness gauges to determine the sea ice mass balance and found that much of the multi-year ice cover was only 1 m thick, considerably thinner than expected.
Abstract: [1] As part of a large interdisciplinary study of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic Ocean (SHEBA), we installed more than 135 ice thickness gauges to determine the sea ice mass balance. While installing these gauges during the fall of 1997, we found that much of the multiyear ice cover was only 1 m thick, considerably thinner than expected. Over the course of the yearlong field experiment we monitored the mass balance for a wide variety of ice types, including first-year ice, ponded ice, unponded ice, multiyear ice, hummocks, new ridges, and old ridges. Initial ice thicknesses for these sites ranged from 0.3 to 8 m, and snow depths varied from a few centimeters to more than a meter. However, for all of their differences and variety, these thickness gauges sites shared a common trait: at every site, there was a net thinning of the ice during the SHEBA year. The thin ice found in October 1997 was even thinner in October 1998. The annual cycle of ice thickness was also similar at all sites. There was a steady increase in thickness through the winter that gradually tapered off in the spring. This was followed by a steep drop off in thickness during summer melt and another tapering in late summer and early fall as freeze-up began. Maximum surface melting was in July, while bottom ablation peaked in August. Combining results from the sites, we found an average winter growth of 0.51 m and a summer melt of 1.26 m, which consisted of 0.64 m of surface melt and 0.62 m of bottom melt. There was a weak trend for thicker ice to have less winter growth and greater net loss for the year; however, ice growth was also impacted by the snow depth. Considerable variability was observed between sites in both accretion and ablation. The total accretion during the 9-month growth season ranged from zero for thick ridged ice to more than a meter for young ice. Ponds tended to have a large amount of surface melting, while ridges had considerable bottom ablation.
340 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2020 | 27 |