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Nome Creek Experimental Watershed

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By Alaska Science Center April 18, 2017

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.

Return to Water or Landscape Science >> Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest. The boreal forest is the Earth’s largest terrestrial biome, and thus plays a major role in biogeochemical cycling, creation of habitat for wildlife, as well as wilderness and resources for humans. Our studies at NCEW have focused on catchment runoff, subsurface transport and storage, aqueous fluxes and gaseous emission of carbon and nutrients, geophysical characterization of degrading permafrost landscapes, and vegetation trends related to warming and fire. Continuous records of stream discharge and temperature, soil moisture, and meteorological conditions have been collected since 2010, with ancillary data including continuous water quality collected over shorter durations.

Matt and Josh Koch preparing for a subsurface tracer test on the West Twin Creek hillslope
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Matt and Josh Koch preparing for a subsurface tracer test on the West Twin Creek hillslope.​​​​​​​(Credit: Ryan Toohey, USGS. Public domain.)

 

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
The Agashashok River Watershed

Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies

Catchment hydrology focuses on the movement of water and solutes from landscapes to waterbodies. Our research addresses questions such as: Where is the stream water coming from? How long did it take to get here? What solutes, nutrients, and/or contaminants did the water pick up along the way? Because streams and lakes gather water and solutes, we can learn about the entire watershed by studying...
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies

Catchment hydrology focuses on the movement of water and solutes from landscapes to waterbodies. Our research addresses questions such as: Where is the stream water coming from? How long did it take to get here? What solutes, nutrients, and/or contaminants did the water pick up along the way? Because streams and lakes gather water and solutes, we can learn about the entire watershed by studying...
Learn More
link
The north fork of the Agashashok River

Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
Learn More
link
Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain

Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
Learn More
link
The "From Icefield to Ocean Poster" depicts the important linkages between glaciers and the ocean.

Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
Learn More
link
Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
Learn More
link
Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
Learn More

Below are publications associated with this project.

Tracer-based evidence of heterogeneity in subsurface flow and storage within a boreal hillslope

Runoff from boreal hillslopes is often affected by distinct soil boundaries, including the frozen boundary and the organic – mineral boundary (OMB), where highly porous and hydraulically-conductive organic material overlies fine-grained mineral soils. Viewed from the surface, ground cover appears as a patchwork on sub-meter scales, with thick, moss mats interspersed with lichen-covered, silty soil
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, Ryan C. Toohey, D.M. Reeves
By
Alaska Science Center

Landscape effects of wildfire on permafrost distribution in interior Alaska derived from remote sensing

Climate change coupled with an intensifying wildfire regime is becoming an important driver of permafrost loss and ecosystem change in the northern boreal forest. There is a growing need to understand the effects of fire on the spatial distribution of permafrost and its associated ecological consequences. We focus on the effects of fire a decade after disturbance in a rocky upland landscape in the
Authors
Dana R. N. Brown, M. Torre Jorgenson, Knut Kielland, David L. Verbyla, Anupma Prakash, Joshua C. Koch
By
Alaska Science Center

Evidence for nonuniform permafrost degradation after fire in boreal landscapes

Fire can be a significant driver of permafrost change in boreal landscapes, altering the availability of soil carbon and nutrients that have important implications for future climate and ecological succession. However, not all landscapes are equally susceptible to fire-induced change. As fire frequency is expected to increase in the high latitudes, methods to understand the vulnerability and resil
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Bruce K. Wylie, Dana R.N. Brown, M. Andy Kass
By
Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Runoff sources and flowpaths in a partially burned, upland boreal catchment underlain by permafrost

Boreal soils in permafrost regions contain vast quantities of frozen organic material that is released to terrestrial and aquatic environments via subsurface flowpaths as permafrost thaws. Longer flowpaths may allow chemical reduction of solutes, nutrients, and contaminants, with implications for greenhouse gas emissions and aqueous export. Predicting boreal catchment runoff is complicated by soil
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, Colin P. Kikuchi, Kimberly P. Wickland, Paul Schuster
By
Alaska Science Center

Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from a headwater stream network of interior Alaska

Boreal ecosystems store significant quantities of organic carbon (C) that may be vulnerable to degradation as a result of a warming climate. Despite their limited coverage on the landscape, streams play a significant role in the processing, gaseous emission, and downstream export of C, and small streams are thought to be particularly important because of their close connection with the surrounding
Authors
John T. Crawford, Robert G. Striegl, Kimberly P. Wickland, Mark M. Dornblaser, Emily H. Stanley

Variation in soil carbon dioxide efflux at two spatial scales in a topographically complex boreal forest

Carbon dynamics of high-latitude regions are an important and highly uncertain component of global carbon budgets, and efforts to constrain estimates of soil-atmosphere carbon exchange in these regions are contingent on accurate representations of spatial and temporal variability in carbon fluxes. This study explores spatial and temporal variability in soilatmosphere carbon dynamics at both fine a
Authors
Katharine C. Kelsey, Kimberly P. Wickland, Robert G. Striegl, Jason C. Neff

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest.

Return to Water or Landscape Science >> Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies

The Nome Creek Experimental Watershed (NCEW) has been the site of multiple studies focused on understanding hydrology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem changes related to permafrost thaw and fire in the boreal forest. The boreal forest is the Earth’s largest terrestrial biome, and thus plays a major role in biogeochemical cycling, creation of habitat for wildlife, as well as wilderness and resources for humans. Our studies at NCEW have focused on catchment runoff, subsurface transport and storage, aqueous fluxes and gaseous emission of carbon and nutrients, geophysical characterization of degrading permafrost landscapes, and vegetation trends related to warming and fire. Continuous records of stream discharge and temperature, soil moisture, and meteorological conditions have been collected since 2010, with ancillary data including continuous water quality collected over shorter durations.

Matt and Josh Koch preparing for a subsurface tracer test on the West Twin Creek hillslope
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Matt and Josh Koch preparing for a subsurface tracer test on the West Twin Creek hillslope.​​​​​​​(Credit: Ryan Toohey, USGS. Public domain.)

 

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link
The Agashashok River Watershed

Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies

Catchment hydrology focuses on the movement of water and solutes from landscapes to waterbodies. Our research addresses questions such as: Where is the stream water coming from? How long did it take to get here? What solutes, nutrients, and/or contaminants did the water pick up along the way? Because streams and lakes gather water and solutes, we can learn about the entire watershed by studying...
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic – Boreal Catchment Studies

Catchment hydrology focuses on the movement of water and solutes from landscapes to waterbodies. Our research addresses questions such as: Where is the stream water coming from? How long did it take to get here? What solutes, nutrients, and/or contaminants did the water pick up along the way? Because streams and lakes gather water and solutes, we can learn about the entire watershed by studying...
Learn More
link
The north fork of the Agashashok River

Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Hydrology

The Arctic is warming at higher rates than much of the rest of the world. For Alaska, this results in changes in hydrology and ecosystems – permafrost is thawing, changing landscapes and releasing nutrients to soils and streams.
Learn More
link
Thawing ice wedges create ponds on the Arctic Coastal Plain

Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic Coastal Plain Studies

The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) is a large region of low-lying, lake-rich land on the North Slope of Alaska. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends. Our studies on the ACP aim to understand the link between...
Learn More
link
The "From Icefield to Ocean Poster" depicts the important linkages between glaciers and the ocean.

Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Wolverine Glacier Ecosystem Studies

This project is an extension of the long-term Wolverine Glacier Benchmark Glacier project and is improving our understanding of solutes and nutrients in glacier basins, and how they fuel downstream ecosystems.
Learn More
link
Wetlands in the Goose Creek Watershed

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Matanuska-Susitna Borough Wetland Modeling

This project aims to improve our understanding of the role of wetlands in controlling streamflow in southcentral Alaska using a groundwater – surface water flow model that can recreate the dynamic interactions between streams and wetlands.
Learn More
link
Example of thawing landscapes and thermokarst at our field sites

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
By
Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE)

ABoVE: Vulnerability of inland waters and the aquatic carbon cycle to changing permafrost and climate across boreal northwestern North America. Carbon released from thawing permafrost may fuel terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems or contribute to greenhouse gas emission, leading to a potential warming feedback and further thaw.
Learn More

Below are publications associated with this project.

Tracer-based evidence of heterogeneity in subsurface flow and storage within a boreal hillslope

Runoff from boreal hillslopes is often affected by distinct soil boundaries, including the frozen boundary and the organic – mineral boundary (OMB), where highly porous and hydraulically-conductive organic material overlies fine-grained mineral soils. Viewed from the surface, ground cover appears as a patchwork on sub-meter scales, with thick, moss mats interspersed with lichen-covered, silty soil
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, Ryan C. Toohey, D.M. Reeves
By
Alaska Science Center

Landscape effects of wildfire on permafrost distribution in interior Alaska derived from remote sensing

Climate change coupled with an intensifying wildfire regime is becoming an important driver of permafrost loss and ecosystem change in the northern boreal forest. There is a growing need to understand the effects of fire on the spatial distribution of permafrost and its associated ecological consequences. We focus on the effects of fire a decade after disturbance in a rocky upland landscape in the
Authors
Dana R. N. Brown, M. Torre Jorgenson, Knut Kielland, David L. Verbyla, Anupma Prakash, Joshua C. Koch
By
Alaska Science Center

Evidence for nonuniform permafrost degradation after fire in boreal landscapes

Fire can be a significant driver of permafrost change in boreal landscapes, altering the availability of soil carbon and nutrients that have important implications for future climate and ecological succession. However, not all landscapes are equally susceptible to fire-induced change. As fire frequency is expected to increase in the high latitudes, methods to understand the vulnerability and resil
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Bruce K. Wylie, Dana R.N. Brown, M. Andy Kass
By
Ecosystems Land Change Science Program, Land Change Science Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Runoff sources and flowpaths in a partially burned, upland boreal catchment underlain by permafrost

Boreal soils in permafrost regions contain vast quantities of frozen organic material that is released to terrestrial and aquatic environments via subsurface flowpaths as permafrost thaws. Longer flowpaths may allow chemical reduction of solutes, nutrients, and contaminants, with implications for greenhouse gas emissions and aqueous export. Predicting boreal catchment runoff is complicated by soil
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, Colin P. Kikuchi, Kimberly P. Wickland, Paul Schuster
By
Alaska Science Center

Emissions of carbon dioxide and methane from a headwater stream network of interior Alaska

Boreal ecosystems store significant quantities of organic carbon (C) that may be vulnerable to degradation as a result of a warming climate. Despite their limited coverage on the landscape, streams play a significant role in the processing, gaseous emission, and downstream export of C, and small streams are thought to be particularly important because of their close connection with the surrounding
Authors
John T. Crawford, Robert G. Striegl, Kimberly P. Wickland, Mark M. Dornblaser, Emily H. Stanley

Variation in soil carbon dioxide efflux at two spatial scales in a topographically complex boreal forest

Carbon dynamics of high-latitude regions are an important and highly uncertain component of global carbon budgets, and efforts to constrain estimates of soil-atmosphere carbon exchange in these regions are contingent on accurate representations of spatial and temporal variability in carbon fluxes. This study explores spatial and temporal variability in soilatmosphere carbon dynamics at both fine a
Authors
Katharine C. Kelsey, Kimberly P. Wickland, Robert G. Striegl, Jason C. Neff
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