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Permafrost, Ground Ice, and Soils Databases: USA summary. Brief overview of US databases involving permafrost, soils, and ground ice Includes soil climate Several organizations are international programs. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) http://nsidc.org/.
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Permafrost, Ground Ice, and Soils Databases: USA summary • Brief overview of US databases involving permafrost, soils, and ground ice • Includes soil climate • Several organizations are international programs
National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) http://nsidc.org/ • Primary archive of NSF, NASA, NOAA, and others • Frozen Ground Data • Active layer • Cryosols • Ground ice • Periglacial processes • Permafrost • Rock Glaciers • Seasonally frozen ground • Soil Temperature
Dry Valley Drilling Project (DVDP) • Joint effort with Japan, New Zealand, USA • Reconnaissance during IGY 1959 • Drilled post-IGY 15 cores, 2 km total • Goal was to study past 10 Ma history • Geology, Geochemistry, Biology
Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network • Established 1980, 26 sites • McMurdo Dry Valleys • Microbial ecosystem, ephemeral streams, closed basin lakes • Data on: meteorology, streams, lakes, glaciers, soils • Palmer • Ecosystem focus
VALMAP (Valleys in Antarctica: Layered Mapping, Analysis, and Planning VALMAP) • Aerial Photography • Bedrock Geology • Firn, Glaciers • Lakes • Ground-Penetrating Radar • Soils • Bockheim Pits • Campbell Pits • Satellite Imagery • Ground Ice (extensive survey) • Streams • Topography Server is currently inactive but should reopen on USGS web server 2004-5
University of Wisconsin Antarctic Soils Database • Bockheim , students, & colleagues from 1975 to 1987, 481 soils • Archived with National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) (http://nsidc.org/data/docs/fgdc/ggd221_soiltemp_antarctica/index.html) • Compliments database of Ian Campbell from New Zealand • Included in VALMAP and other soil maps
Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) • Initiated by the International Permafrost Association (IPA) • Organize and manage a global network of permafrost observatories for detecting, monitoring, and predicting climate change • Authorized under the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) • Permafrost and Climate in Europe (PACE) contributions • Two components • Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) network which was established in 1990 active layer (the surface layer that freezes and thaws annually) • Monitor the thermal state of the underlying permafrost primarily using deep boreholes
Antarctic Candidate Boreholes GTN-P (Borehole class: SU (surface <10m); SH (shallow 10-25m); IB (intermediate 25-125m); DB (deep geothermal >125); * CALM sites)
NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) • Joint program with Landcare, New Zealand • Under auspices of Global Climate Change Program, part of GTN-P • Soils characterization (SCS standardized protocol) • Monitor meteorology, soil temperature & moisture, Active Layer thickness • First site 1998, 7+ sites
Other resources • Satellite & Remote sensing • SAR • Microwave • Ground ice • Thermal • GPS monitoring • (UNAVCO) • Monitor soil movement