Measuring thaw depth beneath peat-lined arctic streams using ground-penetrating radar
✍ Scribed by John H. Bradford; James P. McNamara; William Bowden; Michael N. Gooseff
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2005
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 390 KB
- Volume
- 19
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0885-6087
- DOI
- 10.1002/hyp.5781
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
In arctic streams, depth of thaw beneath the stream channel is likely a significant parameter controlling hyporheic zone hydrology and biogeochemical cycling. As part of an interdisciplinary study of this system, we conducted a field investigation to test the effectiveness of imaging substream permafrost using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). We investigated three sites characterized by low-energy water flow, organic material lining the streambeds, and water depths ranging from 0Ð2 to 2 m. We acquired data using a 200 MHz pulsed radar system with the antennas mounted in the bottom of a small rubber boat that was pulled across the stream while triggering the radar at a constant rate. We achieved excellent results at all three sites, with a clear continuous image of the permafrost boundary both peripheral to and beneath the stream. Our results demonstrate that GPR can be an effective tool for measuring substream thaw depth.