Observations in ice-rich permafrost systems, Prudhoe Bay Alaska, August 2020

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) project “Landscape evolution and adapting to change in Ice-Rich Permafrost Systems (NNA-IRPS)” investigates key questions relating to ice-rich permafrost systems (IRPS): How are climate change and infrastructure affecting IRPS? What roles do ecosystems play in the development and degradation of IRP? and How can people and their infrastructure adapt to changing IRP systems? This dataset summarizes the results of field work related to the "Landscape Evolution" portion of the project that is geographically focused in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield (PBO), Alaska, and is focused on 1) how differences in vegetation, soils, water, and time influence the accumulation and degradation of ground ice in IRP landscapes; and 2) how the loss of ground ice can radically change these landscapes, their components, and the infrastructure built on them. This dataset covers a shortened 2020 field seasons due to the COVID pandemic. Field work was conducted from a field camp situated approximately 14 kilometers (km) south of Deadhorse. The primary goals were to (1) conduct a reconnaissance of a new Natural Ice-Rich Permafrost Observatory (NIRPO), (2) monitor late-season thaw depths, water-depths, ice-wedge polygon microrelief contrasts, and vegetation distribution along six previously established transects closer to industrial roads and infrastructure.in the PBO, and (3) provide training and field-site overview for a new graduate student and post doc. An "Adaptation to Change" component of the NNA-IRPS project is focused on housing foundations and landscape changes related to climate and infrastructure in the village of Point Lay. No field research was conducted in Point Lay in 2020 due to the pandemic.

美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation, NSF）“导航新北极”（Navigating the New Arctic, NNA）项目的“富冰多年冻土系统的景观演化与适应变化（NNA-IRPS）”课题，针对富冰多年冻土系统（Ice-Rich Permafrost Systems, IRPS）提出三大核心研究问题：气候变化与基础设施将如何影响富冰多年冻土系统？生态系统在富冰多年冻土（Ice-Rich Permafrost, IRP）的发育与退化过程中扮演何种角色？人类及其基础设施应如何适应不断变化的富冰多年冻土系统？本数据集汇总了该项目中“景观演化”部分的野外工作成果，研究区域聚焦于阿拉斯加普拉德霍湾油田（Prudhoe Bay Oilfield, PBO），核心研究内容涵盖两点：1）植被、土壤、水体与时间的差异如何影响富冰多年冻土景观中地下冰的积累与退化；2）地下冰的流失会如何彻底改变这类景观、其组成要素以及其上建造的基础设施。受新冠疫情影响，本数据集仅涵盖2020年缩短的野外作业季。野外工作在距Deadhorse以南约14公里的野外营地开展，主要目标分为三项：（1）对新建的天然富冰多年冻土观测站（Natural Ice-Rich Permafrost Observatory, NIRPO）进行踏勘；（2）沿六条先前设立、靠近工业道路与基础设施的剖面，监测季末冻融深度、水深、冰楔多边形微地形差异以及植被分布；（3）为一名新入职的研究生与博士后提供培训及野外场地概览。NNA-IRPS项目的“适应变化”子课题聚焦于Point Lay村的住房地基以及与气候和基础设施相关的景观变化，但2020年受疫情影响，未在Point Lay开展任何野外研究工作。