TY - JOUR
T1 - Drained thaw lake basin recovery on the western Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska using high-resolution digital elevation models and remote sensing imagery
AU - Wang, Jida
AU - Sheng, Yongwei
AU - Hinkel, Kenneth M.
AU - Lyons, Evan A.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to YS ( 0013903 ) and KMH ( 0713813 ), and partially by the Terrestrial Hydrology Program (THP) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to YS ( NNX08AE51G ). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NSF or NASA. We acknowledge the Research Geographer Benjamin M. Jones at the USGS Alaska Science Center for providing the IfSAR DEM. We are also grateful for the logistical support of the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC), CH2MHill Polar Services, UNAVCO, the village of Atqasuk, and the Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC).
PY - 2012/4/16
Y1 - 2012/4/16
N2 - The landscape on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska is dominated by thousands of thaw (thermokarst) lakes and associated drained thaw lake basins (DTLBs). Knowledge of the DTLBs benefits our understanding of thaw lake dynamics, carbon cycles, and paleo-climatic change on the ACP since the end of the Late Glacial. This study initializes the application of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) into a systematic reconstruction of DTLBs on the western ACP and adjacent northern Arctic Foothills. The method combines a machine-based detection algorithm automating the delineation of basin paleoshorelines on IfSAR DEM data and a posterior quality control with the aid of high-resolution aerial photograph and Landsat-5 TM imagery. A total of ~3590km 2 of thaw lakes and ~10130km 2 of DTLBs were mapped, with an overall accuracy of 99.2% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.988. The delineated DTLB extents are conservative, as validated from eleven field-sampled paleoshorelines. A variety of topologic patterns such as merging, nesting, and overtopping are presented in the reconstructed DTLBs. Basin paleoshoreline levels are subject to average uncertainties of 0.4-0.7 m. The combined area of thaw lakes and DTLBs accounts for 57.1% of the western ACP and 23.2% of the northern Arctic Foothills in the study site. Regional analysis of several spatial and topographic characteristics demonstrates a distinct heterogeneity among the younger Outer Coastal Plain (YOCP), Outer Coastal Plain (OCP), Inner Coastal Plain (ICP), and the Arctic Foothills. Generally, the areal density of DTLBs decreases progressively on higher and older surfaces. The ICP has a lake-DTLB area ratio (0.37) greater than that in the other regions. DTLB bathymetry presents a positive correlation with surface elevation: basin maximum depths range from ~2.0m on the YOCP to ~ 8.0m on the Arctic Foothills. Given the reconstructed DTLBs, a total of 31.9 (±4.9) gigatons of net water drainage were estimated for the entire study area.
AB - The landscape on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska is dominated by thousands of thaw (thermokarst) lakes and associated drained thaw lake basins (DTLBs). Knowledge of the DTLBs benefits our understanding of thaw lake dynamics, carbon cycles, and paleo-climatic change on the ACP since the end of the Late Glacial. This study initializes the application of high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) into a systematic reconstruction of DTLBs on the western ACP and adjacent northern Arctic Foothills. The method combines a machine-based detection algorithm automating the delineation of basin paleoshorelines on IfSAR DEM data and a posterior quality control with the aid of high-resolution aerial photograph and Landsat-5 TM imagery. A total of ~3590km 2 of thaw lakes and ~10130km 2 of DTLBs were mapped, with an overall accuracy of 99.2% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.988. The delineated DTLB extents are conservative, as validated from eleven field-sampled paleoshorelines. A variety of topologic patterns such as merging, nesting, and overtopping are presented in the reconstructed DTLBs. Basin paleoshoreline levels are subject to average uncertainties of 0.4-0.7 m. The combined area of thaw lakes and DTLBs accounts for 57.1% of the western ACP and 23.2% of the northern Arctic Foothills in the study site. Regional analysis of several spatial and topographic characteristics demonstrates a distinct heterogeneity among the younger Outer Coastal Plain (YOCP), Outer Coastal Plain (OCP), Inner Coastal Plain (ICP), and the Arctic Foothills. Generally, the areal density of DTLBs decreases progressively on higher and older surfaces. The ICP has a lake-DTLB area ratio (0.37) greater than that in the other regions. DTLB bathymetry presents a positive correlation with surface elevation: basin maximum depths range from ~2.0m on the YOCP to ~ 8.0m on the Arctic Foothills. Given the reconstructed DTLBs, a total of 31.9 (±4.9) gigatons of net water drainage were estimated for the entire study area.
KW - Alaska
KW - Arctic Coastal Plain
KW - Digital elevation models
KW - Paleoshorelines
KW - Thermokarst lakes
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U2 - 10.1016/j.rse.2011.10.027
DO - 10.1016/j.rse.2011.10.027
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84857503973
SN - 0034-4257
VL - 119
SP - 325
EP - 336
JO - Remote Sensing of Environment
JF - Remote Sensing of Environment
ER -