Using streamflow characteristics to explore permafrost thawing in northern Swedish catchments
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Using streamflow characteristics to explore permafrost thawing in northern Swedish catchments. / Sjöberg, Ylva; Frampton, Andrew; Lyon, Steve W.
I: Hydrogeology Journal, Bind 21, Nr. 1, 2013, s. 121-131.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Using streamflow characteristics to explore permafrost thawing in northern Swedish catchments
AU - Sjöberg, Ylva
AU - Frampton, Andrew
AU - Lyon, Steve W.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The recent and rapid warming of the Arctic leads to thawing of permafrost, which influences and changes subsurface water-flow systems in such landscapes. This study explores the utility of catchments as "sentinels of change" by considering long-term discharge data from 17 stations on unregulated rivers in northern Sweden and analyzing trends in annual minimum discharge and recession flow characteristics. For the catchments considered, the annual minimum discharge has increased significantly (based on the Mann Kendall test at a 95 % confidence level) in nine of the catchments and decreased significantly in one catchment. Considering changes in recession-flow characteristics, seven catchments showed significant trends consistent with permafrost thawing while two catchments showed significant trends in the opposite direction. These results are mechanistically consistent with generic physically based modeling studies and the geological setting, as the catchments considered span the spatial limit of permafrost extent. This study illuminates the potential for using hydrologic observations to monitor changes in catchment-scale permafrost. Further, this opens the door for research to isolate the mechanisms behind the different trends observed and to gauge their ability to reflect actual permafrost conditions at the catchment scale.
AB - The recent and rapid warming of the Arctic leads to thawing of permafrost, which influences and changes subsurface water-flow systems in such landscapes. This study explores the utility of catchments as "sentinels of change" by considering long-term discharge data from 17 stations on unregulated rivers in northern Sweden and analyzing trends in annual minimum discharge and recession flow characteristics. For the catchments considered, the annual minimum discharge has increased significantly (based on the Mann Kendall test at a 95 % confidence level) in nine of the catchments and decreased significantly in one catchment. Considering changes in recession-flow characteristics, seven catchments showed significant trends consistent with permafrost thawing while two catchments showed significant trends in the opposite direction. These results are mechanistically consistent with generic physically based modeling studies and the geological setting, as the catchments considered span the spatial limit of permafrost extent. This study illuminates the potential for using hydrologic observations to monitor changes in catchment-scale permafrost. Further, this opens the door for research to isolate the mechanisms behind the different trends observed and to gauge their ability to reflect actual permafrost conditions at the catchment scale.
KW - Climate change
KW - Groundwater-permafrost interactions
KW - Groundwater/surface-water relations
KW - Streamflow trends
KW - Sweden
U2 - 10.1007/s10040-012-0932-5
DO - 10.1007/s10040-012-0932-5
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84873520310
VL - 21
SP - 121
EP - 131
JO - Hydrogeology Journal
JF - Hydrogeology Journal
SN - 1431-2174
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 223513501