Indicators of changing landscape wetness in the western Canadian Arctic

Abstract:

The landscape of the western Canadian arctic has been changing over the last 5 decades in response to warming air temperatures and decreasing precipitation. Changes include thinner snowcover, decreased river and lake ice thickness, deepening active layer, increasing thaw slumping, and expanding shrub cover for example. Although there are no long term data sets to consider changes in soil wetness in this region, changes in surface moisture can be considered through analysis of both long term stream discharge records and remote sensing of tundra ponds and lakes. In this paper, we will use these long term records in order to explore past changes to this environment. In addition, we will outline details of ongoing observations at long term observatories and modelling efforts to consider the controls on future changes in wetness.