Overland Transport of Sediment by Rill Water in a Periglacial Environment in the Canadian High Arctic

Wilkinson, T. J.; Bunting, B. T.

doi:10.2307/520531

Cited by 32 publications

(16 citation statements)

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“…Woo et al (1994) witnessed rapid flow through blockstreams and stone stripes, where alpine conditions (coarse sediment, steep slopes) favored free subsurface flow. In a study of rill flow and erosion in polar desert conditions, Wilkinson and Bunting (1975) identified flow through stone stripes as an important provider of water to rillwork. Hodgson and Young (2001) measured a three order of magnitude increase of hydraulic conductivity between the top of frost mounds, composed mainly of fine-grained material, and the lowlying gravelly channels in between the frost mounds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Water tracks in the High Arctic: a hydrological network dominated by rapid subsurface flow through patterned ground

2017

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Water tracks play a major role in the headwater basin hydrology of permafrost landscapes in Alaska and Antarctica, but less is known about these features in the High Arctic. We examined the physical and hydrological properties of water tracks on Ward Hunt Island, a polar desert site in the Canadian High Arctic, to evaluate their formation process and to compare with water tracks reported elsewhere. These High Arctic water tracks flowed through soils that possessed higher near-surface organic carbon concentrations, higher water content, and coarser material than the surrounding soils. The water track morphology suggested they were initiated by a combination of sorting, differential frost heaving, and eluviation. The resultant network of soil conduits, comparable to soil pipes, dominated the hydrology of the slope. The flow of cold water through these conduits slowed down the progression of the thawing front during summer, making the active layer consistently shallower relative to adjacent soils. Water tracks on Ward Hunt Island, and in polar desert catchments with these features elsewhere in the High Arctic, strongly influence slope hydrology and active-layer properties while also affecting vegetation distribution and the quality of runoff to the downstream lake.Key words: Patterned ground, permafrost hydrology, polar desert, sorted stripes, water tracks.Résumé : Les nappes d'eau (« water tracks ») jouent un rôle important au niveau de l'hydrologie des bassins d'amont des paysages de pergélisol en Alaska et en Antarctique, mais on en connait moins sur ces caractéristiques dans le Haut-Arctique. Nous avons examiné les propriétés physiques et hydrologiques de nappes d'eau sur l'île Ward Hunt, un site de désert polaire dans le Haut-Arctique canadien, afin d'évaluer leur processus de formation et de comparer avec les nappes d'eau documentées ailleurs. Ces nappes d'eau dans le HautArctique coulaient à travers des sols dont les concentrations en carbone organique proche de la surface et la teneur en eau étaient plus élevées, et dont le matériau était plus grossier que celui des sols environnants. La morphologie de nappes d'eau laisse entendre qu'elles ont été engendrées par une combinaison de triage, de soulèvement par le gel différentiel et d'éluviation. Le réseau de conduits de sol (comparables à des tuyaux de sol) qui en résulte dominait l'hydrologie de la pente. L'écoulement d'eau froide par ces conduits ralentissait la progression du front de dégel pendant l'été, entraînant la diminution systématique de l'épaisseur de la couche active par rapport aux sols adjacents. Les nappes d'eau sur l'île Ward Hunt, et dans les bassins hydrologiques de désert polaire ayant ces caractéristiques

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to the reported occurrences mentioned above (Wilkinson and Bunting 1975;Woo et al 1994 (Figs. 9c and 9d), near a site where polar desert hillslope hydrology was extensively studied in the early 1980s (Woo et al 1981;Woo and Steer 1982, 1983.…”

Section: Water Tracks In the High Arcticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water tracks in the High Arctic: a hydrological network dominated by rapid subsurface flow through patterned ground

2017

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“…This in turn allows the rapid rise of groundwater above the soil surface, which generates both the Hewlettian runoff and the concentrated flow in the rills (rillwash) (Woo & Steer, 1982). This is especially significant in spring as the frozen substrate near the surface prevents percolation when the water supply is abundant (Wilkinson & Bunting, 1975;Woo, 1976;Lewkowicz & French, 1982).…”

Section: Surface Runoff and Concentrated Runoff In Periglacial Enviromentioning

confidence: 99%

Butchering Site Evolution Induced by Past and Recent Snowmelt Runoff: The Saunitarlik Site (JiEv‐15), Aivirtuuq Peninsula, Nunavik, Canada

2016

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A geoarchaeological study of a unique Inuit site in Nunavik was undertaken in order to document the impact of humans on the Arctic environment. The Saunitarlik archaeological site is located on the Aivirtuuq peninsula near Kangiqsujuaq (Nunavik), and it was used as a butchering site by Inuit in the 19th century. It consists of an open‐air midden containing thousands of bones lying in the bed of an intermittent stream. This study documents the transformation of soil at the Saunitarlik site as a result of butchering activities by comparing them with extra‐site soils. Chronostratigraphic and sedimentological analyses of extra‐site sections show a succession of facies associated with: (1) till reworked by the sea, (2) regressive shoreline deposits, (3) surface runoff deposits, and (4) eolian deposits. Surface runoff deposits that dominate the peninsula were linked to regional climatic variations. Micromorphology analyses of intra‐ and extra‐site sediments revealed that periglacial and surface runoff were the main factors influencing site evolution. The intra‐site sections are characterized by the presence of dark, greasy, and sandy organic matter layers. Chemical analysis of these layers using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC−MS) indicated the presence of well‐preserved animal fatty acids in the sediments.

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“…L'ile d'Akpatok est constituee d'une sequence d'environ 600 m de calcaires ordoviciens (Cox, 1932;Grant et Manchester, 1970;Workum et al, 1976) reposant sur des roches cristallines du Bouclier Canadien. Les strates sont sub-horizontales, peu Cpaisses et intensement diaclaskes.…”

Section: Gcologie Et Gbomorphologie Glaciaireunclassified

Drainage karstique en milieu de pergélisol: le cas de l'ǐle d'akpatok, T.N.O. Canada

Lauriol

Gray

1990

Permafrost & Periglacial

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L'ǐle étudiée, située au nord‐ouest de la baie d'Ungava, est formée de calcaires ordoviciens qui reposent en strates subhorizontales sur le socle archéen. Des observations sur le terrain et sur des photos‐aériennes ont révélé que le drainage souterrain est trés important, malgré le fait que la température moyenne annuelle d'environ −7 °C implique un pergélisol profond. L'eau issue de la fonte nivale printanière pénétre dans les fissures, et dans les dolines aux fonds des dépressions associèes aux lacs. Cette disparition des eaux de surface est plus rapide dans le secteur sud de l'ǐle, que dans le secteur nord. Une diminution de l'épaisseur du tapis nival vers le sud de l'ǐle est peutětre responsable en partie de ce contraste. Peu d'eau réapparait le long des falaises et au fond des vallées, ce qui laisse supposer la présence de sources sous‐marines. Des profils thermiques ont montré que le pergélisol est présent sur l'ǐle, mais qu'il est possiblement interrompu par des taliks associés aux pertes d'eaux verticales. Les analyses hydrochimiques ont fourni des résultats comparables à ceux des autres eaux des karsts arctiques: des duretès totales voisines de 100 mg/1 CaCo3. Un modèle de circulation d'eau souterraine en milieu de pergèlisol est proposé.

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Overland Transport of Sediment by Rill Water in a Periglacial Environment in the Canadian High Arctic

Cited by 32 publications

References 0 publications

Water tracks in the High Arctic: a hydrological network dominated by rapid subsurface flow through patterned ground

Water tracks in the High Arctic: a hydrological network dominated by rapid subsurface flow through patterned ground

Butchering Site Evolution Induced by Past and Recent Snowmelt Runoff: The Saunitarlik Site (JiEv‐15), Aivirtuuq Peninsula, Nunavik, Canada

Drainage karstique en milieu de pergélisol: le cas de l'ǐle d'akpatok, T.N.O. Canada

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