Hydrology of Polar Bear Pass,
N
Nunavut:
t IPY S
Summer 2008
Kathy L. Young
Geography Dept. York University
Toronto, Ontario
IP3-IPY meeting, Whitehorse Nov. 12-15, 2008,
Polar Bear Pass
National Wildlife Area
-100
100 km2
Objectives
„
„
Long-term goal: Improve understanding of
the hydrology of low-gradient
low gradient High Arctic
regional wetlands
Short term goals:
Short-term
„
„
„
Understand the Importance of HillslopeWetland linkages: hydrology
hydrology**,, carbon flow
Pond Sustainability (linked, isolated, substrate
control, ice richness)
Soil Moisture & Evaporation (S. Munster & Julia
Boike, Alfred Wegner Institute)
20
15
10
Tair
5
PPT
0
-5
5150
165
180
195
210 225
June 1 to Aug. 31:
Tair =3.8oC; PPT> 90 mm
(July Tair: 6.9oC)
240
Jday
2008 ~ 2007
ONLY WET
Cu
um. Thaw Days
Ta
air (oC) & PPT (mm
m)
Summer
Climate: 2008
500
400
Cool'02
Cool
02
300
Avg'94
200
Warm'07
100
0
150 165 180 195 210 225 240
Jday
y
R '07
Res'07
Wet'08
End of Winter Snowpack,
End-of
Snowpack May 2008
Woo, 1997
SW
WE (mm)
150
East Med.
100
West Med
Pond 1
50
0
150
LL Snb
155
160
W & Young,
Woo
Y
1997
165
170
Jd
Jday
175
180
185
Plat
V
Hillslope-Wetland Linkage
Windy River
-Hillslope
Hill l
C
Creeks
k
June 15, 2007
Windy River
2nd order stream,
stream ~4
4.2
2 km2
Q (mm/d)
Late June, 2008
Early June, 2008
10.0
8.0
60
6.0
4.0
2.0
00
0.0
Sn+R
*flow throughout summer
150
170
190
Jday
210
230
100.00
~June
June 1 to Aug. 19
inputs
mm
m
50.00
Q/(Sn+R) = 0.68
0 00
0.00
Sn
R
E
Q
S
-50.00
-100.00
-storage
outputs
-snow underestimated?-area, shallow snowcover
-evap overestimated?
ti t d? (Rouse & Stewart, 1976)‘
-grnd. ice melt not yet considered?
Why Continuous Discharge?
-basin size, summer PPT impt. (amount, timing)
g
grnd.
g
coverage
g & position
p
in the basin
-organic
Upper Tributary-Polygonal Ground
-effective snow trap?
-limited
li i d storage ((max. f
ft=0.40
0 40 m))
-pooling of water, leads to runoff
-groundice melt?
Lower Tributary-Moss
Tributary Moss Lined
Moss, saturated surfaces,
-limited storage
Limited storage
-enhance runoff, prolong flow
Landing
g Strip
p Creek
1rd order stream, ~0.2 km2
June 2007
Q (mm/d
d)
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
Sn+R
*Limited response to Summer PPT
150
170
190
210
Q/(Sn+R) = 0.28
230
Jday
y
Eastern hillslope creek
-dried out ~ Jday 182
Linkage of Small Hillslope Creeks
to Wetland Ponds is Still Important
Hourly Water Table Response, CR 1 Pond to Landing Strip Creek
Discharge, 2008
melt+rain recharge
summer PPT recharge
100
0.4
90
0.35
80
60
0.25
50
0.2
0.15
Pond WT
40
Stream Q
30
01
0.1
20
0.05
10
Jday
234
231
228
225
222
219
216
212
209
206
203
200
197
194
191
188
185
182
179
176
173
170
167
164
161
0
158
0
Q (m 3/hrr)
70
0.3
154
Water Table
e (m)
0.45
100.0
mm
50.0
~June
June 1 to Aug. 22
storage
inputs
00
0.0
Sn
R
-50.0
E
Q
S
outputs
p
-100.0
Bowl Shape
p Terrain (polar
p
desert)
-captures snow, supplies creek
-when dry (ft = 0.71 m), stores
rainwater, delays creek flow
-
June 2008
Deg ree o f Wetn es s
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
150
165
180
195
J da y
210
225
240
Pattern of Hillslope-Wetland Linkage
-Post-Snowmelt Period? ((based on 2007 & 2008 data))
Hillslope Runoff
Small < 1st Order
R i
Rain
Large > 1st Order
Littl tto N
Little
No Rain
R i
Intermittent Flow
R i
Rain
Flow Ceases
Littl to
Little
t No
N Rain
R i
Reduced but Continuous Flow
Flow Ceases
Stream
m Discharge
D
g Comparison
mp
Q (mm
m/d)
15
SBCK-61.1km2
10
WBCK-8.2km2
5
WindyR-4.2km2
LSCK-0 2km2
LSCK-0.2km2
0
150 165 180 195 210 225 240
Jday
*NOTE discharge data (1976) for Snowbird Creek and Whitebear Creek
from Wedel et al. 1976
2009 Summer Plans
Assess Freshwater Supply
-expand snow survey
Pond Connectivity
-hydrology
-carbon flux,, terrestrial pathways
p
y
-PBP vs. Cape Bounty
Hillslope-Wetland Linkage
-expand creek network
Soil Moisture, Ground ice & Evap,
-cal./validate RS imagery (A. Wegner)
2008 Outreach
PCSP 50th Anniversary, July 12
*School Visit, Website: polardiary. com
*Training (snowcover, post snowmelt)
*Community
y Open
p House at PBP,, July
y 19
*T.V. program, Turtle Island
2009 Outreach
Kathy L. Young
NSERC
CRSNG
PCSP
NSTP