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Nordicana
D24 / DOI :
10.5885/45418AD-AF6A8064C702444B
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Seasonal ice cover and catchment changes at northern thermokarst ponds in Nunavik: Observations from automated time-lapse cameras
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Reinhard Pienitz 1, Frédéric Bouchard, Biljana Narancic, Warwick F. Vincent, Denis Sarrazin
Centre d'études nordiques
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Abstract
Thermokarst ponds and lakes are common features of Arctic and subarctic landscapes, developing in depressions that result from the thawing of ice-rich permafrost. Most of these water bodies are shallow (< 1m depth), and they are widespread in lowland areas of western and northern Alaska, Canada and Siberia. Studies into the dynamics and evolution of these widespread thaw ponds and lakes in the Northern Hemisphere are sparse. However, direct on-the-ground observations (monitoring) are necessary to gain a better understanding of their seasonal dynamics and role in the global carbon cycle.
Weather-resistant time-lapse cameras were installed on trees and other solid metal surfaces (rods) within the catchment of 5 subarctic thermokarst ponds for year-round continuous monitoring/observation and documentation of changes in their physical conditions (e.g., ice cover, water transparency, water level, littoral aquatic vegetation) and their surrounding catchment (e.g., seasonal vegetation change, wildlife activities). This information is of crucial importance to help understand and interpret many lake physical and catchment processes that occur during the winter months, changes that otherwise could not be observed due to the harsh climatic winter conditions and the remoteness of these northern sites.
Materials and methods
Reconyx PC800 Professional cameras were installed on metal support rods or coniferous trees at approximately 5-10 m distance from the edge (peripheral bulge) of thermokarst lakes and ponds, taking 6 photos every day at 1 hour intervals between 10:00 AM and 15:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST). The cameras were protected in a metal housing to minimize environmental hazards and damage. The cameras were placed at 2-3 meters height above ground.
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Pienitz, R., Bouchard, F., Narancic, B., Vincent, W.F., Sarrazin, D. 2017. Seasonal ice cover and catchment changes at northern thermokarst ponds in Nunavik: Observations from automated time-lapse cameras, v. 1.1 (2014-2016). Nordicana D24, doi: 10.5885/45418AD-AF6A8064C702444B.
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Bouchard, F., Francus, P., Pienitz, R. & Laurion, I. 2011. Sedimentology and geochemistry of thermokarst ponds in discontinuous permafrost, subarctic Quebec, Canada. Journal of Geophysical Research- Biogeosciences 116, G00M04. DOI: 10.1029/2011JG001675.
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Bouchard, F., Francus, P., Pienitz, R., Laurion, I. & Feyte, S. 2014. Subarctic thermokarst ponds: investigating recent landscape evolution and sediment dynamics in thawed permafrost of northern Québec, Canada. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 46(1): 251-271. DOI: 10.1657/1938-4246-46.1.251.
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Bouchard, F., Pienitz, R., Ortiz, J, Francus, P. & Laurion, I. 2013. Paleolimnological conditions inferred from fossil diatom assemblages and derivative spectral properties of sediments in thermokarst ponds of subarctic Quebec, Canada. Boreas 42(3): 575-595. DOI: .
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Comte, J., Lovejoy, C., Crevecoeur, S. and Vincent, W.F. 2016. Co-occurrence patterns in aquatic bacterial communities across changing permafrost landscapes. Biogeosciences 13: 175-190. DOI: 10.5194/bg-13-175-2016.
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Coulombe, O., Bouchard, F. & Pienitz, R. 2016. Coupling of sedimentological and limnological dynamics in subarctic thermokarst ponds in northern Québec (Canada) on an interannual basis. Sedimentary Geology (in press). |
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Crevecoeur, S., Vincent, W.F., Comte, J., and Lovejoy, C. 2015. Bacterial community structure across environmental gradients in permafrost thaw ponds: Methanotroph-rich ecosystems. Frontiers in Microbiology 6, 192. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00192.
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Deshpande, B.N., MacIntyre, S., Matveev, A., and Vincent, W.F. 2015. Oxygen dynamics in permafrost thaw lakes: Anaerobic bioreactors in the Canadian subarctic. Limnology and Oceanography 60: 1656–1670. DOI: 10.1002/lno.10126.
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Przytulska, A., Comte, J., Crevecoeur, S., Lovejoy, C., Laurion, I. and Vincent, W.F. 2016. Phototrophic pigment diversity and picophytoplankton abundance in subarctic permafrost thaw lakes. Biogeosciences 13: 13-26. DOI: 10.5194/bg-13-13-2016.
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Watanabe, S., Laurion, I., Chokmani, K., Pienitz, R. & Vincent, W.F. 2011. Optical diversity of thaw ponds in discontinuous permafrost: A model system for water color analysis. Journal of Geophysical Research- Biogeosciences 116. DOI: 10.1029/2010JG001380.
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Centre d’études nordiques (CEN – Centre for Northern Studies), ADAPT (Arctic Development and Adaptation to Permafrost in Transition) Discovery Frontiers program funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.
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You can request for data from previous versions at nordicana@cen.ulaval.ca.
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Version 1.1
(2014-2016) - Updated April 25, 2017
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Version 1.0
(2014-2015) - Updated January 22, 2016
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Site |
Latitude |
Longitude |
Altitude (m) |
Startup date |
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| More info
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NASA
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56.92078 |
-76.37828 |
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August 31, 2014 |
| More info
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BGR1
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56.61083 |
-76.215 |
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September 1, 2014 |
| More info
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KWK12
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55.33013 |
-77.50398 |
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July 5, 2014 |
| More info
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SAS1A
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55.2188 |
-77.70795 |
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September 4, 2014 |
| More info
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SAS2A
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55.22652 |
-77.69692 |
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September 4, 2014 |
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