Active layer thermal monitoring of a Dry Valley of the Ellsworth Mountains, Continental Antarctica

Schaefer, Carlos Ernesto Gonçalves Reynaud; Michel, Roberto; Souza, Caroline Delpupo; Senra, Eduardo Osório; Bremer, Ulisses Franz; Bockheim, James G.

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2016.07.020

Cited by 18 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Here we report on a survey for these conditions in Ellsworth Land, Antarctica, thousands of kilometres distant from the Dry Valleys. Our results now follow the paper by Schaefer et al (2017) that reported thermal measurements in the ground near this site in Ellsworth Land that clearly indicate dry permafrost and ice-cemented ground. The Schaefer et al (2017) paper is the first detailed confirmation of the thermal state of dry permafrost outside of the Dry Valleys.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Our results now follow the paper by Schaefer et al (2017) that reported thermal measurements in the ground near this site in Ellsworth Land that clearly indicate dry permafrost and ice-cemented ground. The Schaefer et al (2017) paper is the first detailed confirmation of the thermal state of dry permafrost outside of the Dry Valleys. Our results complement the Schaefer et al (2017) paper by including relative humidity (RH) as well as temperature measurements.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Thus, the region from 13.5 cm depth to 49 cm depth is dry permafrost overlying ice-cemented ground. We note that Schaefer et al (2017) determined the depth to permafrost at their site as c. 48 cm, which is considerably deeper than at our site. We do not use the term ‘active zone’, which is often used in studies of Arctic permafrost for describing the surface zone that melts in the summer with a lower boundary that is both the top of the permanently frozen ground and a change from liquid water to ice.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 45%

“…It is expected that a deep ice table with summer temperatures below freezing can indicate dry permafrost over ice-cemented ground. Our site was selected independently but is only c. 1.5 km west of the sites studied by Schaefer et al (2017) and at approximately the same elevation (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Schaefer et al (2017) paper is the first detailed confirmation of the thermal state of dry permafrost outside of the Dry Valleys. Our results complement the Schaefer et al (2017) paper by including relative humidity (RH) as well as temperature measurements. We identify and characterize with year-round data a site with dry permafrost over ice-cemented ground.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Dry permafrost over ice-cemented ground at Elephant Head, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica

et al. 2019

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Dry permafrost - ground with temperature always below 0°C and containing negligible ice - overlying ice-cemented ground has been reported in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and on Mars. Here we report on a new site (79°49.213'S, 83°18.860'W, 718 m elevation) located on the side of Mount Dolence in Ellsworth Land, Antarctica. Year-round temperature and humidity measurements indicate that dry permafrost is present between depths of 13.5 and 49.0 cm - the location of ice-cemented ground. The mean annual frost point of the ice-cemented ground is -17.0 ± 0.2°C and the mean annual frost point of the atmosphere is -22.7 ± 1°C. The corresponding mean annual temperatures are -19.2°C and -20.3°C. Neither the temperature of the ice-cemented ground nor the air rise above freezing. Both the dry permafrost and the ice table may be habitable. In the dry soil at 3 cm depth there are 80 hours in the summer when temperature exceeds -5°C and water activity exceeds 0.8. At the ice table, temperature exceeds -10°C and water activity exceeds 0.8 for 35 hours in the year. The ice table and the dry permafrost above it would be considered a ‘Special Region’ on Mars. Further microbial investigation of this site is indicated.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 45%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Dry permafrost over ice-cemented ground at Elephant Head, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica

et al. 2019

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The evolution of a near‐surface ground thermal regime and modeled active‐layer thickness on James Ross Island, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula, in 2006–2016

Hrbáček

Uxa

2019

Permafrost & Periglacial

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Thermal regime and thickness of the active layer respond rapidly to climate variations, and thus they are important measures of cryosphere changes in polar environments. We monitored air temperature and ground temperature at a depth of 5 cm and modeled active‐layer thickness using the Stefan and Kudryavtsev models at the Abernethy Flats site, James Ross Island, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula, in the period March 2006 to February 2016. The decadal average of air and ground temperature was −7.3 and −6.1°C, respectively, and the average modeled active‐layer thickness reached 60 cm. Mean annual air temperature increased by 0.10°C y−1 over the study period, while mean annual ground temperature showed the opposite tendency of −0.05°C y−1. The cooling took place mainly in summer and caused thawing season shortening and active‐layer thinning of 1.6 cm y−1. However, these trends need to be taken carefully because all were non‐significant at p < 0.05. The Stefan and Kudryavtsev models reproduced the active‐layer thickness with mean absolute errors of 2.6 cm (5.0%) and 3.4 cm (5.9%), respectively, which is better than in most previous studies, making them promising tools for active‐layer modeling over Antarctica.

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When the Vital Signs of Microbial Life Go Cold, Does That Mean the Pulse Is Gone? Microbial Life Persists at the Limits of Cryoenvironments on Earth

Goordial

2021

Advances in Environmental Microbiology

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Active layer thermal monitoring of a Dry Valley of the Ellsworth Mountains, Continental Antarctica

Cited by 18 publications

References 25 publications

Dry permafrost over ice-cemented ground at Elephant Head, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica

Dry permafrost over ice-cemented ground at Elephant Head, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica

The evolution of a near‐surface ground thermal regime and modeled active‐layer thickness on James Ross Island, Eastern Antarctic Peninsula, in 2006–2016

When the Vital Signs of Microbial Life Go Cold, Does That Mean the Pulse Is Gone? Microbial Life Persists at the Limits of Cryoenvironments on Earth

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