scholarly journals Permafrost thaw couples slopes with downstream systems and effects propagate through Arctic drainage networks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven V. Kokelj ◽  
Justin Kokoszka ◽  
Jurjen van der Sluijs ◽  
Ashley C. A. Rudy ◽  
John Tunnicliffe ◽  
...  

Abstract. The intensification of thaw-driven mass wasting is transforming glacially-conditioned permafrost terrain, coupling slopes with aquatic systems, and triggering a cascade of downstream effects. Within the context of recent, rapidly evolving climate controls on the geomorphology of permafrost terrain we: A) quantify three-dimensional slump enlargement and described the processes and thresholds coupling slopes to downstream systems; B) investigate catchment-scale patterns of slope thermokarst (thaw slumps and slides) impacts and the geomorphic implications; and C) project the propagation of effects through hydrological networks draining continuous permafrost of northwestern Canada. Power-law relationships between thaw-slump area and volume (R2 = 0.90), and thickness of permafrost thawed (R2 = 0.63), combined with the multi-decadal (1985–2018) increase in areal extent of thaw-slump disturbance show a two-order of magnitude increase in catchment-scale geomorphic activity and the coupling of slope and hydrological systems. Predominant catchment effects are to first- and second-order streams where sediment delivery commonly exceeds stream transport capacity by orders of magnitude indicating millennial-scale perturbation of downstream systems. Assessment of hydrological networks indicates thaw-driven mass wasting directly affects over 6,760 km of stream segments, 890 km of coastline, and 1,370 lakes in the 994,860 km2 study area. Downstream propagation of slope thermokarst indicates a potential increase in the number of affected lakes by at least a factor of 4 (n > 5,600), impacted stream length by a factor of 7 (> 48,000 km) and defines several major impact zones to lakes, deltas, and coastal areas. Prince of Wales Strait is the receiving marine environment for greatly increased sediment and geochemical fluxes from numerous slump impacted hydrological networks draining the landmasses of Banks and Victoria Islands. Peel and Mackenzie Rivers are globally significant conveyors of the slope thermokarst cascade delivering effects to North America’s largest Delta and the Beaufort Sea. Climate-driven erosion of ice-rich slopes in permafrost preserved glaciated terrain has triggered a time-transient cascade of downstream effects that signal the renewal of post-glacial landscape evolution. Glacial legacy and the patterns of continental drainage dictate that terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments of western Arctic Canada will be an interconnected hotspot of thaw-driven change through the coming millennia.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 3059-3081
Author(s):  
Steven V. Kokelj ◽  
Justin Kokoszka ◽  
Jurjen van der Sluijs ◽  
Ashley C. A. Rudy ◽  
Jon Tunnicliffe ◽  
...  

Abstract. The intensification of thaw-driven mass wasting is transforming glacially conditioned permafrost terrain, coupling slopes with aquatic systems, and triggering a cascade of downstream effects. Within the context of recent, rapidly evolving climate controls on the geomorphology of permafrost terrain, we (A) quantify three-dimensional retrogressive thaw slump enlargement and describe the processes and thresholds coupling slopes to downstream systems, (B) investigate catchment-scale patterns of slope thermokarst impacts and the geomorphic implications, and (C) map the propagation of effects through hydrological networks draining permafrost terrain of northwestern Canada. Power-law relationships between retrogressive thaw slump area and volume (R2=0.90), as well as the thickness of permafrost thawed (R2=0.63), combined with the multi-decadal (1986–2018) increase in the areal extent of thaw slump disturbance, show a 2 order of magnitude increase in catchment-scale geomorphic activity and the coupling of slope and hydrological systems. Predominant effects are to first- and second-order streams where sediment delivery, often indicated by formation of recent debris tongue deposits, commonly exceeds the transport capacity of headwater streams by orders of magnitude, signaling centennial- to millennial-scale perturbation of downstream systems. Assessment of hydrological networks indicates that thaw-driven mass wasting directly affects over 5538 km of stream segments, 889 km of coastline, and 1379 lakes in the 994 860 km2 study area. Downstream propagation of slope thermokarst indicates a potential increase in the number of affected lakes by at least a factor of 4 (n>5692) and impacted stream length by a factor of 8 (>44 343 km), and it defines several major impact zones on lakes, deltas, and coastal areas. Prince of Wales Strait is the receiving marine environment for greatly increased sediment and geochemical fluxes from numerous slump-impacted hydrological networks draining Banks Island and Victoria Island. The Peel and Mackenzie rivers are globally significant conveyors of the slope thermokarst cascade, delivering effects to North America's largest Arctic delta and the Beaufort Sea. Climate-driven erosion of ice-rich slopes in permafrost-preserved glaciated terrain has triggered a time-transient cascade of downstream effects that signal the rejuvenation of post-glacial landscape evolution. Glacial legacy, ground-ice conditions, and continental drainage patterns dictate that terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine environments of western Arctic Canada will be an interconnected hotspot of thaw-driven change through the coming millennia.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Kokelj ◽  
Justin Kokoszka ◽  
Jurjen van der Sluijs ◽  
Ashley Rudy ◽  
Jon Tunnicliffe ◽  
...  

<p>Recent intensification of slope thermokarst is transforming permafrost preserved glaciated landscapes and causing significant downstream effects. In this paper we: A) Describe the thaw-related mechanisms driving the evolution of slope to stream connectivity; B) define the watershed patterns of thermokarst intensification; and C) project the cascade of effects through the Arctic drainage networks of northwestern Canada. The power-law relationships between disturbance area and volume, and thickness of permafrost thawed, in conjunction with a time-series of disturbance mapping show that the non-linear intensification of slope thermokarst is mobilizing vast stores of previously frozen glacial sediments linking slopes to downstream systems. Mapping across a range of catchment scales indicates that slope thermokarst predominantly affects first and second order streams. Slope sediment delivery now frequently exceeds fluvial transport capacity of these streams by several orders of magnitude indicating long-term perturbation. Mapping shows slope thermokarst is directly affecting over 6760 km of stream segments, over 890 km of coastline and over 1370 lakes across the 1,000,000 km<sup>2</sup> Arctic drainage basin from continuous permafrost of northwestern Canada. The downstream projection of thermokarst disturbance increases affected lakes by a factor of 4 and stream length by a factor of 7, and suggests that fluvial transfer has the potential to yield numerous thermokarst impact zones across coastal areas of western Arctic Canada. The Prince of Wales Strait between Banks and Victoria Islands is identified as a hotspot of downstream thermokarst effects, and the Peel and Mackenzie rivers stand out as principle conveyors of slope thermokarst effects to North America’s largest Delta and to the Beaufort Sea.<strong> </strong>The distribution of slope thermokarst and the fluvial pattern of sediment mobilization signal the climate-driven rejuvenation of post-glacial landscape change and the triggering of a time-transient cascade of downstream effects. Geological legacy and the patterns of continental drainage dictate that terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments of western Arctic Canada will be a hotspot of climate-driven change through the coming centuries. </p>


Author(s):  
Jose-Maria Carazo ◽  
I. Benavides ◽  
S. Marco ◽  
J.L. Carrascosa ◽  
E.L. Zapata

Obtaining the three-dimensional (3D) structure of negatively stained biological specimens at a resolution of, typically, 2 - 4 nm is becoming a relatively common practice in an increasing number of laboratories. A combination of new conceptual approaches, new software tools, and faster computers have made this situation possible. However, all these 3D reconstruction processes are quite computer intensive, and the middle term future is full of suggestions entailing an even greater need of computing power. Up to now all published 3D reconstructions in this field have been performed on conventional (sequential) computers, but it is a fact that new parallel computer architectures represent the potential of order-of-magnitude increases in computing power and should, therefore, be considered for their possible application in the most computing intensive tasks.We have studied both shared-memory-based computer architectures, like the BBN Butterfly, and local-memory-based architectures, mainly hypercubes implemented on transputers, where we have used the algorithmic mapping method proposed by Zapata el at. In this work we have developed the basic software tools needed to obtain a 3D reconstruction from non-crystalline specimens (“single particles”) using the so-called Random Conical Tilt Series Method. We start from a pair of images presenting the same field, first tilted (by ≃55°) and then untilted. It is then assumed that we can supply the system with the image of the particle we are looking for (ideally, a 2D average from a previous study) and with a matrix describing the geometrical relationships between the tilted and untilted fields (this step is now accomplished by interactively marking a few pairs of corresponding features in the two fields). From here on the 3D reconstruction process may be run automatically.


2003 ◽  
Vol 771 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kemerink ◽  
S.F. Alvarado ◽  
P.M. Koenraad ◽  
R.A.J. Janssen ◽  
H.W.M. Salemink ◽  
...  

AbstractScanning-tunneling spectroscopy experiments have been performed on conjugated polymer films and have been compared to a three-dimensional numerical model for charge injection and transport. It is found that field enhancement near the tip apex leads to significant changes in the injected current, which can amount to more than an order of magnitude, and can even change the polarity of the dominant charge carrier. As a direct consequence, the single-particle band gap and band alignment of the organic material can be directly obtained from tip height-voltage (z-V) curves, provided that the tip has a sufficiently sharp apex.


Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 296
Author(s):  
Richard H. Groshong

This paper is a personal account of the origin and development of the twinned-calcite strain gauge, its experimental verification, and its relationship to stress analysis. The method allows the calculation of the three-dimensional deviatoric strain tensor based on five or more twin sets. A minimum of about 25 twin sets should provide a reasonably accurate result for the magnitude and orientation of the strain tensor. The opposite-signed strain axis orientation is the most accurately located. Where one strain axis is appreciably different from the other two, that axis is generally within about 10° of the correct value. Experiments confirm a magnitude accuracy of 1% strain over the range of 1–12% axial shortening and that samples with more than 40% negative expected values imply multiple or rotational deformations. If two deformations are at a high angle to one another, the strain calculated from the positive and negative expected values separately provides a good estimate of both deformations. Most stress analysis techniques do not provide useful magnitudes, although most provide a good estimate of the principal strain axis directions. Stress analysis based on the number of twin sets per grain provides a better than order-of-magnitude approximation to the differential stress magnitude in a constant strain rate experiment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vittorino Lanzio ◽  
Gregory Telian ◽  
Alexander Koshelev ◽  
Paolo Micheletti ◽  
Gianni Presti ◽  
...  

AbstractThe combination of electrophysiology and optogenetics enables the exploration of how the brain operates down to a single neuron and its network activity. Neural probes are in vivo invasive devices that integrate sensors and stimulation sites to record and manipulate neuronal activity with high spatiotemporal resolution. State-of-the-art probes are limited by tradeoffs involving their lateral dimension, number of sensors, and ability to access independent stimulation sites. Here, we realize a highly scalable probe that features three-dimensional integration of small-footprint arrays of sensors and nanophotonic circuits to scale the density of sensors per cross-section by one order of magnitude with respect to state-of-the-art devices. For the first time, we overcome the spatial limit of the nanophotonic circuit by coupling only one waveguide to numerous optical ring resonators as passive nanophotonic switches. With this strategy, we achieve accurate on-demand light localization while avoiding spatially demanding bundles of waveguides and demonstrate the feasibility with a proof-of-concept device and its scalability towards high-resolution and low-damage neural optoelectrodes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Yao Lai ◽  
Laura A. Stevens ◽  
Danielle L. Chase ◽  
Timothy T. Creyts ◽  
Mark D. Behn ◽  
...  

AbstractSurface meltwater reaching the base of the Greenland Ice Sheet transits through drainage networks, modulating the flow of the ice sheet. Dye and gas-tracing studies conducted in the western margin sector of the ice sheet have directly observed drainage efficiency to evolve seasonally along the drainage pathway. However, the local evolution of drainage systems further inland, where ice thicknesses exceed 1000 m, remains largely unknown. Here, we infer drainage system transmissivity based on surface uplift relaxation following rapid lake drainage events. Combining field observations of five lake drainage events with a mathematical model and laboratory experiments, we show that the surface uplift decreases exponentially with time, as the water in the blister formed beneath the drained lake permeates through the subglacial drainage system. This deflation obeys a universal relaxation law with a timescale that reveals hydraulic transmissivity and indicates a two-order-of-magnitude increase in subglacial transmissivity (from 0.8 ± 0.3 $${\rm{m}}{{\rm{m}}}^{3}$$ m m 3 to 215 ± 90.2 $${\rm{m}}{{\rm{m}}}^{3}$$ m m 3 ) as the melt season progresses, suggesting significant changes in basal hydrology beneath the lakes driven by seasonal meltwater input.


Author(s):  
Stephen A Solovitz

Abstract Following volcanic eruptions, forecasters need accurate estimates of mass eruption rate (MER) to appropriately predict the downstream effects. Most analyses use simple correlations or models based on large eruptions at steady conditions, even though many volcanoes feature significant unsteadiness. To address this, a superposition model is developed based on a technique used for spray injection applications, which predicts plume height as a function of the time-varying exit velocity. This model can be inverted, providing estimates of MER using field observations of a plume. The model parameters are optimized using laboratory data for plumes with physically-relevant exit profiles and Reynolds numbers, resulting in predictions that agree to within 10% of measured exit velocities. The model performance is examined using a historic eruption from Stromboli with well-documented unsteadiness, again providing MER estimates of the correct order of magnitude. This method can provide a rapid alternative for real-time forecasting of small, unsteady eruptions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Sarraf ◽  
Ezequiel López ◽  
Laura Battaglia ◽  
Gustavo Ríos Rodríguez ◽  
Jorge D'Elía

In the boundary element method (BEM), the Galerkin weighting technique allows to obtain numerical solutions of a boundary integral equation (BIE), giving the Galerkin boundary element method (GBEM). In three-dimensional (3D) spatial domains, the nested double surface integration of GBEM leads to a significantly larger computational time for assembling the linear system than with the standard collocation method. In practice, the computational time is roughly an order of magnitude larger, thus limiting the use of GBEM in 3D engineering problems. The standard approach for reducing the computational time of the linear system assembling is to skip integrations whenever possible. In this work, a modified assembling algorithm for the element matrices in GBEM is proposed for solving integral kernels that depend on the exterior unit normal. This algorithm is based on kernels symmetries at the element level and not on the flow nor in the mesh. It is applied to a BIE that models external creeping flows around 3D closed bodies using second-order kernels, and it is implemented using OpenMP. For these BIEs, the modified algorithm is on average 32% faster than the original one.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 1941-1950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Ezhova ◽  
Claudia Cenedese ◽  
Luca Brandt

AbstractSubglacial discharges have been observed to generate buoyant plumes along the ice face of Greenland tidewater glaciers. These plumes have been traditionally modeled using classical plume theory, and their characteristic parameters (e.g., velocity) are employed in the widely used three-equation melt parameterization. However, the applicability of plume theory for three-dimensional turbulent wall plumes is questionable because of the complex near-wall plume dynamics. In this study, corrections to the classical plume theory are introduced to account for the presence of a wall. In particular, the drag and entrainment coefficients are quantified for a three-dimensional turbulent wall plume using data from direct numerical simulations. The drag coefficient is found to be an order of magnitude larger than that for a boundary layer flow over a flat plate at a similar Reynolds number. This result suggests a significant increase in the melting estimates by the current parameterization. However, the volume flux in a wall plume is found to be one-half that of a conical plume that has 2 times the buoyancy flux. This finding suggests that the total entrainment (per unit area) of ambient water is the same and that the plume scalar characteristics (i.e., temperature and salinity) can be predicted reasonably well using classical plume theory.


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