Shifting balance of thermokarst lake ice regimes across the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska

摘要: [1] The balance of thermokarst lakes with bedfast- and floating-ice regimes across Arctic lowlands regulates heat storage, permafrost thaw, winter-water supply, over-wintering aquatic habitat. Using a time-series late-winter synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to distinguish lake ice in two regions the Coastal Plain northern Alaska from 2003–2011, we found that 18% had intermittent regimes, varying between bedfast-ice conditions. Comparing this dataset radar-based classification 1980 showed 16% shifted regimes. A simulated thinning trend 1.5 cm/yr since 1978 is believed be primary factor driving form change. The most profound impacts regime shift may an increase landscape-scale thermal offset created by additional storage its role talik development otherwise continuous as well increases over-winter habitat supply.