Using ground-penetrating radar, topography and classification of vegetation to model the sediment and active layer thickness in a periglacial lake catchment, western Greenland

Abstract. The geometries of a catchment constitute the basis for distributed physically based numerical modeling of different geoscientific disciplines. In this paper results from ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements, in terms of a 3-D model of total sediment thickness and active layer thickness in a periglacial catchment in western Greenland, are presented. Using the topography, the thickness and distribution of sediments are calculated. Vegetation classification and GPR measurements are used to scale active layer thickness from local measurements to catchment-scale models. Annual maximum active layer thickness varies from 0.3 m in wetlands to 2.0 m in barren areas and areas of exposed bedrock. Maximum sediment thickness is estimated to be 12.3 m in the major valleys of the catchment. A method to correlate surface vegetation with active layer thickness is also presented. By using relatively simple methods, such as probing and vegetation classification, it is possible to upscale local point measurements to catchment-scale models, in areas where the upper subsurface is relatively homogeneous. The resulting spatial model of active layer thickness can be used in combination with the sediment model as a geometrical input to further studies of subsurface mass transport and hydrological flow paths in the periglacial catchment through numerical modeling. The data set is available for all users via the PANGAEA database, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.845258.

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Using ground-penetrating radar, topography and classification of vegetation to model the sediment and active layer thickness in a periglacial lake catchment, Western Greenland

10.5194/essd-2016-19 ◽

2016 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Johannes Petrone ◽

Gustav Sohlenius ◽

Emma Johansson ◽

Tobias Lindborg ◽

Jens-Ove Näslund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Layer Thickness ◽

Active Layer ◽

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Vegetation Classification ◽

Active Layer Thickness ◽

Sediment Thickness ◽

Catchment Scale ◽

Local Point ◽

Scale Models ◽

Ground Penetrating

Abstract. The geometries of a catchment constitute the basis for distributed physically based numerical modeling of different geoscientific disciplines. In this paper results from ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements, in terms of a 3D model of total sediment thickness and active layer thickness in a periglacial catchment in western Greenland, are presented. Using the topography, thickness and distribution of sediments are calculated. Vegetation classification and GPR measurements are used to scale active layer thickness from local measurements to catchment scale models. Annual maximum active layer thickness varies from 0.3 m in wetlands to 2.0 m in barren areas and areas of exposed bedrock. Maximum sediment thickness is estimated to be 12.3 m in the major valleys of the catchment. A method to correlate surface vegetation with active layer thickness is also presented. By using relatively simple methods, such as probing and vegetation classification, it is possible to upscale local point measurements to catchment scale models, in areas where the upper subsurface is relatively homogenous. The resulting spatial model of active layer thickness can be used in combination with the sediment model as a geometrical input to further studies of subsurface mass-transport and hydrological flow paths in the periglacial catchment through numerical modelling. The data set is available for all users via the PANGAEA database, https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.845258.

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Ground-penetrating radar-derived measurements of active-layer thickness on the landscape scale with sparse calibration at Toolik and Happy Valley, Alaska

Geophysics ◽

10.1190/geo-2015-0124.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 81 (2) ◽

pp. H1-H11 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Albert Chen ◽

Andrew D. Parsekian ◽

Kevin Schaefer ◽

Elchin Jafarov ◽

Santosh Panda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Layer Thickness ◽

Active Layer ◽

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Landscape Scale ◽

Active Layer Thickness ◽

Ground Penetrating ◽

Happy Valley

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Spatial variability of active layer thickness detected by ground‐penetrating radar in the Qilian Mountains, Western China

Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface ◽

10.1002/2016jf004018 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 122 (3) ◽

pp. 574-591 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Bin Cao ◽

Stephan Gruber ◽

Tingjun Zhang ◽

Lili Li ◽

Xiaoqing Peng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Variability ◽

Layer Thickness ◽

Active Layer ◽

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Qilian Mountains ◽

Western China ◽

Active Layer Thickness ◽

The Qilian Mountains ◽

Ground Penetrating

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Ground-penetrating radar-derived measurements of active-layer thickness on the landscape scale with sparse calibration at Toolik and Happy Valley, Alaska

Geophysics ◽

10.1190/geo2015-0124.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 81 (2) ◽

pp. H9-H19 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Albert Chen ◽

Andrew D. Parsekian ◽

Kevin Schaefer ◽

Elchin Jafarov ◽

Santosh Panda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Layer Thickness ◽

Active Layer ◽

Ground Penetrating Radar ◽

Empirical Relationship ◽

Monitoring Network ◽

Active Layer Thickness ◽

Antenna Coupling ◽

Thaw Depth ◽

Ground Penetrating ◽

Happy Valley

Active-layer thickness (ALT) is an important parameter for studying surface energy balance, ecosystems, and hydrologic processes in cold regions. We measured ALT along 10 routes with lengths ranging from 0.7 to 6.9 km located on the Alaska North Slope near Toolik Lake and the Happy Valley airstrip (between 68.475° and 69.150°N, and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]). Using a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system in a common-offset configuration, we measured the two-way traveltimes from the surface to the bottom of the active layer at the end of summer, when the thaw depth was greatest. We used 500 and 800 MHz antennas; the 500 MHz antenna provided suitable vertical resolution, while producing more unambiguous active-layer reflections in the presence of nonideal antenna coupling and active layer inhomogeneity. We derived ALT measurements and their uncertainties from GPR two-way traveltimes, with mechanical probing for velocity calibration. Using an empirical relationship between the wave velocity and soil volumetric water content (VWC), we found that the velocities were consistent with soil VWCs ranging from 0.46 to 0.63. In 31% of traces, the permafrost table horizon was identifiable, resulting in ALT measurements with uncertainties of generally less than 25%. The average ALT was 48.1 cm, with a standard deviation of 16.1 cm. We found distinct patterns of ALT spatial variability at different sites and different length scales. At some sites, the ALT at one point was effectively uncorrelated with ALT at other points separated by lag distances as small as tens of meters; for other sites, there was correlation at lag distances up to approximately 400 m. The ALT statistics were similar to nearby long-term in situ ALT measurements from the Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring Network, through which yearly ALT measurements have been made since 1990.

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