Ground ice and soluble cations in near‐surface permafrost, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Abstract

The distribution of segregated ice and soluble ions in near-surface permafrost were investigated in hummocky terrain near Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Soil water content profiles from analyses of drill cores indicate that ice-poor permafrost developed beneath a permafrost table aggrading at approximately 4 cm/a, but an ice-rich zone, 10 to 20 cm thick, was observed beneath a permafrost table that had remained stable for about a decade. Ice-rich intervals 10 to 30 cm thick were observed immediately beneath both a thaw unconformity formed in 1981 and an older, deeper unconformity. In profile, the correspondence between zones of cation and ice enrichment suggests soluble materials were incorporated into permafrost during development of near-surface aggradational ice. Moisture enrichment below an experimentally degrading permafrost table was negligible. Similar ice contents beneath the present permafrost table and the deep thaw unconformity, and the preservation of ice-poor intervals immediately above the 1981 and deep thaw unconformities indicate limited vertical ice enrichment. The estimated rates of ice accumulation in two-decade-old permafrost are on the order of mm/a, but ice accumulation above older unconformities indicates that, in aggregate, these initial rates decrease with time. The ground ice and soluble cations sequestered in near-surface permafrost comprise an important pool of water and nutrients that may be released into the active layer during periods of deeper thaw.

Review article: Inferring permafrost and permafrost thaw in the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region

“…Additionally, the thaw of previously frozen material releases solutes (Hinzman et al, 2005;Kokelj and Burn, 2003;Williams et al, 2006). This can be due to the release of ions stored in ground ice (Kokelj et al, 2002;Kokelj and Burn, 2003) or, on longer timescales, caused by exposure of new material to leaching, as previously frozen deposits ) become hydraulically more permeable. In some cases, water originating from areas of inferred permafrost degradation has been shown to contribute to exceeding guideline values for drinking water quality with respect to selected heavy metals (Thies et al, 2007(Thies et al, , 2013.…”

“…As the hydrologic regime changes from near-surface drainage to deeper flow paths following active layer deepening and talik formation, changed cycle times and their proportional contribution to stream flow will affect solute contents in surface water (Frey and McClelland, 2009;Hinzman et al, 2005) and groundwater (Cheng and Jin, 2012). Additionally, the thaw of previously frozen material releases solutes (Hinzman et al, 2005;Kokelj and Burn, 2003;Williams et al, 2006). This can be due to the release of ions stored in ground ice (Kokelj et al, 2002;Kokelj and Burn, 2003) or, on longer timescales, caused by exposure of new material to leaching, as previously frozen deposits ) become hydraulically more permeable.…”

Hydrogeochemical and Biogeochemical Processes in Kaffiøyra River Catchments (Spitsbergen, Norway)

“…Also, the hydrochemical aspects of chemical denudation generated by cryochemical processes in the glacierized and non-glacierized areas was carried out. The results of these studies were recently published by, among many others, Hodson et al (2000Hodson et al ( , 2002, Cooper et al (2002), Kokelj and Burn (2003), Chmiel et al (2007Chmiel et al ( , 2011Chmiel et al ( , 2012, Krawczyk and Pettersson (2007), Krawczyk and Bartoszewski (2008), Zwoliński et al (2008Zwoliński et al ( , 2012, Bring and Destouni (2009), Dragon and Marciniak (2010), Kuhry et al (2010), Mazurek et al (2012) and Szpikowski et al (2014b). Effects of cryochemical processes were investigated also in the western part of Spitsbergen, in several small glacierized and non-glacierized river catchments: Pulina (1984Pulina ( , 1990, Pulina et al (1984), Kostrzewski et al (1989), Bartoszewski et al (1991); Pulina and Burzyk (2002), Chmiel et al (2007Chmiel et al ( , 2011Chmiel et al ( , 2012; Krawczyk and Pettersson (2007); Rachlewicz et al (2007); Szpikowski et al (2014a, b).…”

Determining the terrain characteristics related to the surface expression of subsurface water pressurization in permafrost landscapes using susceptibility modelling

“…Water and ice enrichment at the base of the active layer has been well documented in the literature (Kokelj and Burn, 2005;Shur et al, 2005;Tarnocai, 2009;French and Shur, 2010). As precipitation or meltwater from ground ice percolates downwards through the active layer during the summer months, it is trapped above the impermeable permafrost table.…”

“…As precipitation or meltwater from ground ice percolates downwards through the active layer during the summer months, it is trapped above the impermeable permafrost table. During the fall freeze-back period this water undergoes refreezing, consequently developing an icerich transient layer at the base of the active layer (Hinkel et al, 2001;Kokelj and Burn, 2003;Shur et al, 2005). This transient layer undergoes episodic thaw during exceptionally warm years with thick active layer formation (Shur et al, 2005).…”