India Environment Portal | News, reports, documents, blogs, data, analysis on environment & development | India, South Asia
Published on India Environment Portal | News, reports, documents, blogs, data, analysis on environment & development | India, South Asia (http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in)

Home > Featured Articles > Effects of thermo-erosion gullying on hydrologic flow networks, discharge and soil loss > Effects of thermo-erosion gullying on hydrologic flow networks, discharge and soil loss

Effects of thermo-erosion gullying on hydrologic flow networks, discharge and soil loss [1]

Thermo-erosion gullies in continuous permafrost regions where ice-wedge polygons are widespread contribute and change the drainage of periglacial landscapes. Gullying processes are causing long-term impacts to the Arctic landscape such as drainage network restructuring, permafrost erosion, sediment transport. Between 2009 and 2013, 35 gullies were mapped in a polygon terrace in the valley of the Glacier C-79 on Bylot Island, Nunavut (Canada), one of which was monitored for its hydrology. A gully (R08p) initiated in 1999 in a low-center polygon terrace. Between 1999 and 2013, 202 polygons over a surface of 28 891 m2 were breached by gullying. Overall, 1401 polygons were similarly breached on the terrace in the valley before 2013. R08p is fed by a 1.74 km2 watershed and the hydrological regime is characterized by peak flows of 0.69 m3 s−1 and a cumulative volume of 229 662 m3 for 2013. Historic aerial photography from 1972 and recent field surveys showed a change in the paths of water tracks and an increase in channelized flow in the gully area from none to 35% of the overall flow path of the section. The overall eroded area for the studied gullies in the valley up to 2013 was estimated at 158 000 m2 and a potential volume close to 200 000 m3. Gullying processes increased drainage of wetlands and the hydrological connectivity in the valley, while lowering residence time of water near gullied areas.

Publication Date: 
20/10/2014
Etienne Godin [2], Daniel Fortier [3], Stéphanie Coulombe [4]
Environmental Research Letters [5]
9
10
Tags:
Arctic [6], Canada [7], Hydrology [8], Wetlands [9], Soil Erosion [10], Sediment Transport [11]
Centre for Science and Environment
National Knowledge Commission Government of India

Technology Partners: MimirTech


India Environment Portal by Centre for Science and Environment is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 India License.


Source URL: http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/effects-thermo-erosion-gullying-hydrologic-flow-networks-discharge-and-soil-loss

Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/effects-thermo-erosion-gullying-hydrologic-flow-networks-discharge-and-soil-loss
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/etienne-godin
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/daniel-fortier
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/st%C3%A9phanie-coulombe
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/environmental-research-letters
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/arctic
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/canada
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/hydrology
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/wetlands
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/soil-erosion
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/sediment-transport