Measurements of thaw front depth, surface organic layer thickness, soil moisture content and water table depth in Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada
Abstract
Between June 2017 and September 2022, fieldwork was conducted in Old Crow Flats, Yukon (Canada) to study thermokarst lake and drained basin dynamics and hydrological connections in the flats. As part of this work, measurements of thaw front depth, thickness of the surface organic layer, soil water content and water table depth were made at 17 sites. Thaw front depths were made by probing soils to refusal with a rod. The thickness of the organic layer was measured by digging holes until the mineral layer was visible, and the depth to the water table was noted in that same hole. Water content was recorded with the HydroSense II Handheld Soil Moisture Sensor.
Data citation
Turner, K., Gagnon, S., Pearce, M., Chiasson, D., Roy-Léveillée, P., Thorne, B. 2023. Measurements of thaw front depth, surface organic layer thickness, soil moisture content and water table depth in Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada, v. 1.0. Nordicana D115, doi: 10.5885/45819CE-C45A35328D1E48A4.
Location map
Key references
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Roy-Léveillée, Pascale, and C. R. Burn. “Old Crow Flats: Thermokarst Lakes in the Forest–Tundra Transition.” In Landscapes and Landforms of Western Canada, edited by Olav Slaymaker, 267–76. World Geomorphological Landscapes. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2017.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44595-3_19 -
Turner, Kevin W., Michelle D. Pearce, and Daniel D. Hughes. “Detailed Characterization and Monitoring of a Retrogressive Thaw Slump from Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems and Identifying Associated Influence on Carbon and Nitrogen Export.” Remote Sensing 13, no. 2 (2021): 171.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13020171 -
MacDonald, Lauren A., Kevin W. Turner, Ian McDonald, Mitchell L. Kay, Roland I. Hall, and Brent B. Wolfe. “Isotopic Evidence of Increasing Water Abundance and Lake Hydrological Change in Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada.” Environmental Research Letters 16, no. 12 (November 2021): 124024.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3533
Contributors
Gray, Luke
Brock University
Charlie, Caleb
Old Crow community member
Nagwan, Clifton
Old Crow community member
Kyikavichik, Robert
Old Crow community member
Acknowledgements
We thank Polar Knowledge Canada, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and NASA's Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) for their support. We are also grateful to the village of Old Crow, its inhabitants and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation for welcoming us and supporting our research.
Version history
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Version 1.0 (2017–2022)Updated February 10, 2023
You can request an older version by contacting nordicana@cen.ulaval.ca
Measurement sites
| Site | Latitude | Longitude | Altitude (m) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plot 1 | 67.90957 | -139.69718 | 299.542 | More info |
| Plot 2 | 67.90002 | -139.7335 | 298.422 | More info |
| Plot 3 | 67.90036 | -139.73568 | 298.587 | More info |
| Plot 5 | 67.84151 | -139.75759 | 271.152 | More info |
| Plot 4 | 67.84081 | -139.75571 | 272.319 | More info |
| Plot 6 | 67.8415 | -139.76108 | 274.99 | More info |
| OCFF | 67.91003 | -139.69711 | 299 | More info |
| OCFE1 | 67.93187 | -139.44582 | 308 | More info |
| OCFJD2 | 67.92082 | -139.47784 | 303 | More info |
| OCF55 | 67.84261 | -139.76259 | 275 | More info |
| OCF55T | 67.84113 | -139.7579 | 281 | More info |
| OCFJD2V | 67.92082 | -139.47784 | 303 | More info |
| PR2CT | 67.91811 | -139.40752 | 306 | More info |
| PR2CM | 67.92067 | -139.43088 | 303 | More info |
| PR2SD | 67.92477 | -139.37485 | 304 | More info |
| PR3M | 67.92916 | -139.34833 | 303 | More info |
| PR3C | 67.92632 | -139.35396 | 305 | More info |
Download
Data available for download are in ZIP format. Please properly cite the data when using it.
Turner et al._ALT_Moisture_OL_ML Get file
Sites
Data
Elevation
06/2017 – 09/2022
Land cover group
06/2017 – 09/2022
Thaw front depth
06/2017 – 09/2022
Water table depth
06/2017 – 09/2022
Volumetric water content
06/2017 – 09/2022
Average period of the water content reflectometer
06/2017 – 09/2022
Mineral layer thickness in the thawed layer
06/2017 – 09/2022
Organic layer thickness in the thawed layer
06/2017 – 09/2022