Mass Fluxes through Small River Systems on the Alaskan North Slope in Response to Spatial and Temporal Thermodynamic Variations
Midshipman Researcher(s): 1/C Katherine Long
Adviser(s): CDR Shawn Gallaher and Associate Professor Joseph P. Smith
Poster #79
Recent climate changes have altered thermodynamic balances within high latitude watersheds, especially on the Alaskan North Slope where glacial-fed rivers flow through transitional and coastal plain tundra to the Arctic Ocean. This study examines precipitation, discharge, water and soil temperatures, turbidity, and material fluxes through the Kuparuk and Sagavanirktok watersheds on the Alaskan North Slope during the 2019 melt season. Results show that there are episodic peaks in material fluxes associated with late-summer precipitation events, integrating organic and inorganic inputs from deepened active layers.
