%0 Journal Article
%T Alaskan Permafrost Groundwater Storage Changes Derived from GRACE and Ground Measurements
%A Reginald R. Muskett
%A Vladimir E. Romanovsky
%J Remote Sensing
%D 2011
%I MDPI AG
%R 10.3390/rs3020378
%X The Arctic is in transition from climate-driven thawing of permafrost. We investigate satellite-derived water equivalent mass changes, snow water equivalent with in£¿situ measurements of runoff and ground-survey derived geoid models from 1999 through 2009. The Alaskan Arctic coastal plain groundwater storage (including wetland bog, thaw pond and lake) is increasing by 1.15 ¡À 0.65 km3/a (area-average 1.10 ¡À 0.62 cm/a), and Yukon River watershed groundwater storage is decreasing by 7.44 ¡À 3.76 km3/a (area£¿average 0.79 ¡À 0.40 cm/a). Geoid changes show increases within the Arctic coastal region and decreases within the Yukon River watershed. We hypothesize these changes are linked to the development of new predominately closed- and possibly open-talik in the continuous permafrost zone under large thaw lakes with increases of lakes and new predominately open-talik and reduction of permafrost extent in the discontinuous and sporadic zones with decreases of thaw lakes.
%K permafrost
%K Talik
%K climate change
%K groundwater changes
%K Alaska
%K GRACE
%U http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/3/2/378