Progress and Accomplishments

Snapshot of simulated snowpack surface (cyan line) and ground temperature in a low centered polygon on December 24, 2014, demonstrating that rims function as preferential outlets of subsurface heat in winter, becoming the coldest zone of the polygon.

Investigations of topographic control on thermokarst development and the ground thermal regime in ice wedge polygons using the Advanced Terrestrial Simulator

NGEE Arctic researchers found that rim height and trough depth in ice wedge polygons considerably influence the vulnerability of the underlying permafrost, shaping feedbacks which ultimately control topographic deformation and increased soil aeration in t

NASA ABoVE group photo including NGEE Arctic scientists, Shawn Serbin (top left) and Eugenie Euskirchen (bottom left).

NGEE Arctic scientists attend NASA ABoVE annual meeting

Shawn Serbin represented NGEE Arctic at the NASA ABoVE meeting, showcasing our science and identifying opportunities for synergy with NASA ABoVE.

Examples of the collected data (e.g. LiDAR and aerial imagery) and products (Digital Elevation model) using UAS at NGEE Teller research site.

Characterization of permafrost landscapes using an unmanned aerial system: LiDAR mapping the NGEE Arctic Teller field site

A state-of-the-art unmanned aerial system was deployed to collect centimeter-resolution imagery and topographic data of the NGEE Teller research site.

Comparison of soil temperature observations and predictions in polygon centers (a) and rims (b). The simulation was performed with snow redistribution on and two-dimensional subsurface physics, between September 2012 and September 2013. ELM-3D accurately

Impacts of microtopography on hydrologic and thermal states in an Arctic ecosystem: A case study using ELM-3D v1.0

Using a new three-dimensional hydrological and thermal capability in ELM (ELM-3D), scientists at LBNL analyzed the role of snow redistribution and lateral interconnectivity on soil temperatures and active layer.

Schematic representation of the distributed snow depth where tall shrubs trap more snow than surrounding tundra affecting permafrost distribution and form new pathways for groundwater flow.

Modeling the role of vegetation-induced preferential snow accumulation in open talik development and hillslope groundwater flow in a transitional permafrost landscape

The role of distributed snow on permafrost distribution along the hillslope at Teller field site

These panels show a landscape swath over which multiple remote sensing data collected in an area near Kougarok in the Seward Peninsula of Alaska. (a) Unsupervised cluster analysis classification map (k = 25) using EO-1, Landsat 8 OLI, ALOS-1, PALSAR, SPOT

Convolutional neural network approach for mapping Arctic vegetation using multi-sensor remote Sensing fusion

Deep learning models achieve multi-sensor remote sensing fusion for mapping of Arctic vegetation

Modeled net biome productivity of (a) tussock tundra and (b) boreal site during 2003 and 1920 fire events respectively in Alaska.

Modeling the impacts of fire on surface energy and land-atmosphere carbon exchange across Alaska

Impacts of fire on the long-term net ecosystem productivity were modeled across selected sites in Alaska.

Biomass of root nodules (a), basal area (b), and height (c) of alders at the Kougarok hillslope that grow in water tracks (teal) and dense shrublands (light blue).

Symbiotic N-fixation by alder impacts nitrogen availability on a landscape scale

Nitrogen fixed within root nodules of alder growing in dense shrublands is associated with higher levels of local N availability. The inclusion of a plant functional type based on this N-fixing shrub may improve earth system models’ ability to capture nit

Simulated soil organic carbon (SOC) and net primary productivity (NPP) by ELM & ELM-PFLOTRAN compared to other datasets at the Barrow site, AK

Coupling PFLOTRAN into E3SM through collaboration between the CMDV and NGEE Arctic projects

The NGEE Arctic PFLOTRAN biogeochemistry (BGC) is coupled to the E3SM Land Model (ELM) through a generic interface and the ELM-PFLOTRAN is being evaluated at both point and global scales.

Key processes in the anaerobic carbon decomposition framework, including solid and aqueous phases, coupled to anaerobic respiration.

Modeling anaerobic soil organic carbon decomposition in Arctic polygon tundra: Insights into soil geochemical influences on carbon mineralization

Linking soil geochemistry with carbon decomposition improves predictions of CO2 and CH4 production along fine-scale hydrological variabilities in Arctic soil and permafrost.