AON: Development of Sustainable Observations of Thermal State of Permafrost in North America and Russia: The U.S. Contribution to the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost

This work will coordinate data collection using standard equipment and protocols at the Alaskan borehole sites and at a selected and comparable number of sites in Russia. The Alaskan and Eurasian borehole temperature data sets will provide the baseline to reconstruct past surface temperatures, to assess the future rates of change in near-surface permafrost temperatures and permafrost boundaries, and to provide spatial data for validation of climate scenario models and temperature reanalysis approaches. This proposal provides the US contribution to the ongoing activities of Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost that obtains temperatures in a large number of globally distributed boreholes in order to provide a "snapshot" of permafrost temperatures in both time and space. The project continues to provide opportunities for field experience and educational participation at levels ranging from elementary school (e.g., K-12) through postdoctoral internships both in Alaska and in Russia. Our technical manual on methods for permafrost temperature measurements and reporting data provides others with the procedures to conduct independent observations. Data obtained from our TSP project becomes freely available soon after quality assurance is completed.