Figure 1. Seven sites on Alaska North Slope.

INTRODUCTION - TR01-10007

Figure 2. Sampling grid for the seven Alaska sites

TR01-1
Page Navigation
2

Figure 1. Seven sites on Alaska North Slope.

Table 1. Locations of the seven grid sites on Alaska North Slope.

Longitude

Northing

Easting

7027′N

15724′W

Atquasuk

Coastal

7816500

559200

7119′N

15636′W

Barrow

Coastal

7913100

585700

7017′N

14852′W

Betty Pingo

Coastal

7797700

428900

6906′N

14830′W

Happy Valley

Foothill

7671500

426000

6830′N

14930′W

Imnaviat Creek

Foothill

7612300

405600

6837′N

14936′W

Toolik Lake

Foothill

7613900

393500

7022′N

14834′W

West Dock

Coastal

7807300

440800

* General location of the seven sites.

†

Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates for the southwest corner

(e.g., point 11 on Fig. 2) of each grid.

meadow terrain. Tussock tundra is the most common

ured in July and August 1995. The coordinates of the

type of vegetation in the area. A detailed description of

sites are given in Table 1.

the vegetation near Atquasuk is provided in Komarkova

Thaw depth was collected at 100-m intervals on 1- by

and Webber (1980).

1-km grid (Fig. 2). Thaw depths were not measured

Barrow, the northernmost point in Alaska, is domi-

where grid points intersected lakes, rocks, or roads.

nated by wet and acid soils. As described in Brown et

Thaw depth was measured using a rigid metal rod

al. (1980), the soils in the area are formed on flat to

pushed into the ground to refusal.

gently sloping topography under cold and moist condi-

Atquasuk soils are mostly sand to loamy sand. The

tions and consist of a considerable amount of organic

soil landforms in Atquasuk are grouped into three cate-

matter. These soils have a three-layer morphology: an

gories: moderately well drained, where the soils have

organic-rich surface horizon; a horizon of silty clay to

coarse texture and low concentration of organic matter;

somewhat poorly drained, where the water table is

silty loam textured mineral soil with variable amounts

of organics; and an underlying horizon of a perennially

below the surface; and very poorly drained, where the

frozen organic-rich layer. The vegetation of the gener-

soils have considerable amounts of organic matter and

al area in Barrow consists of sedge meadows and mosses

the water table is at or above the surface (Everett 1980).

Everett classified the soils as Pergelic Cryaquepts

(Brown et al. 1980).

(covers most of the area), Pergelic Cryohemists and

Betty Pingo is located in a wetland terrain with min-

Cryosapriest, Pergelic Cryopsamments, and Pergelic

imal topographic relief (Hinzman et al. 1998). The soil

Cryofluents. The Atquasuk area is considered fairly flat

in Betty Pingo consists of silt loam soil mixed with a

to contents

Index

Privacy Statement
Press Release
Contact