Regional Patterns of Ice-Wedge Degradation Across Northern Alaska: What Does Asynchronous Timing of Onset Tell Us Regarding Triggering Mechanisms, Thresholds, and Impacts?

Abstract:

Ice-wedge polygons are conspicuous and widespread in arctic landscapes, creating complex microtopography and strong, meter-scale contrasts in hydrology, soil, vegetation, and ground ice conditions. Thaw of the upper portion of ice-wedges results in ground subsidence (thermokarst), plant mortality and the formation of small, flooded pits along the polygon margins. Secondary impacts, such as changes in flowpaths, spatially-variable flooding and drainage of polygon centers, and thermal erosion of permafrost, extend well beyond the thermokarst pits themselves. We delineated small waterbodies in historical airphotos and modern high-resolution satellite imagery and made ground observations across a network of 45 km² study areas spanning the western and central regions of Alaska’s North Slope. The imagery archive covers three epochs: 1948–1955, 1979–1985, and 2009–2012. Our analysis focused on residual upland surfaces dominated by Holocene-aged ice wedges, where surface water is mainly restricted to degraded ice-wedges. Total extent of flooded pits increased at most landscapes since circa 1980 (range -27 – +135%; median +10.6%). An intriguing regional pattern was evident: degradation of Holocene ice-wedges was already well underway by 1950 across much of the western North Slope, but degradation initiated much more recently on eolian sand and silt (yedoma) deposits prevalent to the east. Our results indicate that recent degradation of Holocene ice wedges across northern Alaska cannot be explained by late-20^th century warmth alone. Possible mechanisms for earlier onset of degradation on the western North Slope include differences in recent climate history, snow regime, and thermal and physical properties of surficial materials. These findings provide context for interpreting and predicting ice-wedge thermokarst processes, thresholds, and impacts in Alaska and elsewhere in the circumpolar arctic.