HR: 09:45h
AN: C11A-08    [PDF]
TI: Climate Change, Permafrost and Infrastructure: Task Force Report of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission
AU: * Brigham, L W
EM: usarc@acsalaska.net
AF: Alaska Office, U.S. Arctic Research Commission, 420 L Street, Suite 315, Anchorage, AK 99501 United States
AU: Nelson, F E
EM: fnelson@udel.edu
AF: Department of Geography, University of Delaware, 207 Pearson Hall, Newark, DE 19716 United States
AB: During 2002 the U.S. Arctic Research Commission chartered a task force on climate change, permafrost and infrastructure impacts. The task force was asked to identify key issues and research needs to foster a greater understanding of global change impacts on permafrost in the Arctic and their importance to natural and human systems. Permafrost was found to play three key roles in the context of climatic change: as a record keeper by functioning as a temperature archive; as a translator of climate change through subsidence and related impacts; and, as a facilitator of further change through its impacts on the global carbon cycle. Evidence of widespread warming of permafrost and observations of thawing have serious implications for Alaska's transportation network, for the trans-Alaska pipeline, and for nearly 100,000 Alaskans living in areas of permafrost. These impacts resulting from changing permafrost must be met by a timely, well-informed, and coordinated response by a host of federal and state organizations. Key task force findings include: requirements for a dedicated U.S. federal permafrost research program; data management needs; baseline permafrost mapping in Alaska; basic permafrost research focusing on process studies and modeling; and, applied permafrost research on design criteria and contaminants in permafrost environments. This report to the Commissioners makes specific recommendations to seven federal agencies, the State of Alaska, and the National Research Council. These recommendations will be incorporated in future Arctic research planning documents of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission.
DE: 0400 Biogeosciences
DE: 1600 GLOBAL CHANGE (New category)
DE: 1823 Frozen ground
DE: 9315 Arctic region
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting