Progress in Understanding the Dynamics, Internal Structure and Palaeoenvironmental Potential of Ice Wedges and Sand Wedges

Christiansen, Hanne H.; Matsuoka, Norikazu; Watanabe, Teiji

doi:10.1002/ppp.1920

Cited by 28 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 119 publications

(184 reference statements)

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“…In particular, we focus on the potential and challenges of ice‐wedge paleoclimatology, and outline priorities for future research to improve the understanding of ice wedges as climate archives as well as ice‐wedge‐based reconstructions of past climate. The isotope geochemistry of ice wedges is reviewed by Lacelle and Vasil'chuk and their dynamics, structure and paleoenvironmental significance by Christiansen et al…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice wedges as archives of winter paleoclimate: A review

Opel

Meyer

Wetterich

et al. 2018

Permafrost & Periglacial

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Ice wedges are a characteristic feature of northern permafrost landscapes and grow mainly by snowmelt that refreezes in thermal contraction cracks that open in winter. In high latitudes the stable‐isotope composition of precipitation (δ18O and δD) is sensitive to air temperature. Hence, the integrated climate information of winter precipitation is transferred to individual ice veins and can be preserved over millennia, allowing ice wedges to be used to reconstruct past winter climate. Recent studies indicate a promising potential of ice‐wedge‐based paleoclimate reconstructions for more comprehensive reconstructions of Arctic past climate evolution. We briefly highlight the potential and review the current state of ice‐wedge paleoclimatology. Existing knowledge gaps and challenges are outlined and priorities for future ice‐wedge research are suggested. The major research topics are (1) frost cracking and infilling dynamics, (2) formation and preservation of the stable‐isotope information, (3) ice‐wedge dating, (4) age‐model development and (5) interpretation of stable‐isotope time series. Progress in each of these topics will help to exploit the paleoclimatic potential of ice wedges, particularly in view of their unique cold‐season information, which is not adequately covered by other terrestrial climate archives.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice wedges as archives of winter paleoclimate: A review

Opel

Meyer

Wetterich

et al. 2018

Permafrost & Periglacial

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“…These features are among the best indicators of present or past periglacial conditions (eg,). It is also important to understand their dynamics, as these landforms contain the largest amount of ice in the top permafrost . Empirical rules, defined by long‐term mean annual air temperature (MAAT) or mean air temperature of the coldest month (MATCM), have typically been applied to inferring paleoclimate conditions from ice‐wedge pseudomorphs (eg,).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, the widely accepted rule is that ice‐wedge pseudomorphs indicate the past presence of (probably continuous) permafrost . Improving the precision of paleoclimatic reconstruction using wedge structures requires more precise criteria based on the observed dynamics of both seasonal deformation and thermal contraction cracking …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The above review, and that by Christiansen et al, suggest that the following issues need to be solved to understand the dynamic of ice‐wedge cracking and thus to use it as a more detailed climatic indicator: seasonal movements of polygonal ground (trough‐ridge morphology); timing, magnitude and frequency of ice‐wedge cracking; thresholds for ice‐wedge cracking; controls on interannual variability of cracking. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ice‐wedge polygon dynamics in Svalbard: Lessons from a decade of automated multi‐sensor monitoring

Matsuoka

Christiansen²,

Watanabe

2018

Permafrost & Periglacial

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Twelve years of continuous monitoring of diverse ground properties reveals the dynamics of three ice wedges and adjacent ground in a low-centered polygon area in Svalbard. The monitoring documented ground displacements, the timing of crack generation, ground thermal and moisture conditions from the surface to the top permafrost, and snow conditions. The focus is on seasonal ground deformation in and around ice-wedge troughs, interannual variability of ice-wedge activity and thermal thresholds for ice-wedge cracking. Seasonal ice-wedge activity is mainly associated with frost heave and thaw settlement, as well as thermal expansion and contraction.In mid-to late winter, temporary expansion and cracking of troughs by thermal contraction occurs during rapid cooling periods. Following intensive ground microcracking events, troughs show rapid expansion and in some cases major cracking in the frozen active layer. A common threshold for cracking is identified by a combination of ground surface cooling below −20°C and a thermal gradient steeper than −10°C m −1 in the upper meter of ground, indicating that cracking requires both a brittle frozen layer and rapid ground cooling. Our results highlight that in marginal thermal conditions for ice-wedge activity, the primary control on ice-wedge cracking is rapid winter cooling enhanced by minimum snow cover. (eg, 5-8 ). These rules, however, give only rough estimates, because they ignore ground surface conditions (snow and vegetation), and short cold events rather than seasonal conditions may control thermal contraction cracking. 9,10 To date, the widely accepted rule is that ice-wedge pseudomorphs indicate the past presence of (probably continuous) permafrost. 1 Improving the precision of paleoclimatic reconstruction using wedge structures requires more precise ----------------------------------------------------This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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“…Ice wedge polygons are one of the most recognizable landforms in permafrost environments (Christiansen et al, 2016). The polygons develop from the growth of ice wedges, with the raised ridges that commonly develop adjacent to the wedges marking the polygon perimeters (Lachenbruch, 1962;Leffingwell, 1915).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Ice Wedge Cracking in Permafrost Using Miniature Accelerometers

O'Neill

Christiansen²

2018

JGR Earth Surface

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Determining the exact timing of ice wedge cracking in permafrost is challenging. Five miniature accelerometers were installed near the ground surface in the trough of a primary ice wedge within a network of low‐centered polygons in Adventdalen, Svalbard, to test whether these instruments could be used to detect dynamics of thermal contraction cracking. Data from 2003 to 2013 were analyzed to characterize cryoseismic signals in the ice wedge trough. High‐magnitude accelerations (from 5 g to at least 100 g) were typically registered in late winter, when the top of permafrost had cooled to about −10°C; these likely correspond to ice wedge cracking in permafrost. Tensile stresses calculated from temperatures measured in the ice wedge trough are near laboratory strengths reported for ice and mineral active layer sediments, supporting the interpretation that large accelerations are caused by thermal contraction cracking. Lower magnitude accelerations occurred throughout the freezing season, usually coinciding with rapid cooling at the ground surface. These small accelerations may be associated with (i) the initiation of small cracks in the active layer of the trough or (ii) the horizontal and vertical propagation of existing ice wedge cracks. The results of this investigation indicate that miniature accelerometers are an effective, inexpensive, and simple method to determine the timing of ice wedge cracking and rates of crack propagation along ice wedge troughs.

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Progress in Understanding the Dynamics, Internal Structure and Palaeoenvironmental Potential of Ice Wedges and Sand Wedges

Cited by 28 publications

References 119 publications

Ice wedges as archives of winter paleoclimate: A review

Ice wedges as archives of winter paleoclimate: A review

Ice‐wedge polygon dynamics in Svalbard: Lessons from a decade of automated multi‐sensor monitoring

Detection of Ice Wedge Cracking in Permafrost Using Miniature Accelerometers

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