HR: 0800h
AN: C21C-1119    [Abstracts]
TI: Extreme High and Low Flows in the Alaskan Arctic
AU: * Kane, D L
EM: ffdlk@uaf.edu
AF: Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AU: Hinzman, L D
EM: ffldh@uaf.edu
AF: Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AU: Gieck, R E
EM: fnreg@uaf.edu
AF: Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks , Fairbanks, AK 99775 United States
AB: Annual precipitation in the Alaskan Arctic is rather low by global standards. Still, the environment, particularly permafrost, ensures that there is at least a moderate hydrologic response to snow ablation or rainfall precipitation. Because of the long winters with snow accumulation, the spring breakup can generate a significant runoff event; usually the most significant hydrologic event for the year. For watersheds that are smaller in basin area than the area of coverage of low pressure systems producing the precipitation, the maximum runoff event will be produced by rainfall! On the other hand, low flows occur during the winter months; in some cases the flow ceasing altogether. Low flow during the summer rainfall season generally coincides with the driest period immediately following snowmelt. The trend is generally increasing precipitation over the warm season after snowmelt, reaching a maximum just prior to freeze-up. However, the record low summer flows will occur later as drought conditions prevail longer into the summer. For the Upper Kuparuk river over a 13 year period, peak flow was measured at 120.8 m³/s (16 August 2002); this can be contrasted to the recorded low flow of 0.25 m³/day on almost the same day of the year (19 August 2005).
DE: 1812 Drought
DE: 1817 Extreme events
DE: 1821 Floods
DE: 1823 Frozen ground
DE: 1833 Hydroclimatology
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005