Permafrost Change and Impacts on Infrastructure and Resources in Alaska: A Synthesis of Past Work

Start Date

2016-08-01

End Date

2022-07-31

Release Date

2016

Permafrost, or ground that remains frozen for two or more consecutive years, is found across approximately 80% of Alaska. Rising temperatures and changes in the fire regime are already causing significant thawing of permafrost, leading to impacts such as erosion, landslides, changes in plant growth, and damage to roads and infrastructure. Over the course of the past six years, the Alaska Climate Science Center (AK CSC) and its partners at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) have developed an extensive suite of research related to the impacts of changing climate on permafrost within the Alaska region. This body of AK CSC sponsored research complements a variety of previous and ongoing efforts based at the UAF that are aimed at understanding linkages among temperature increase, permafrost degradation, and thermokarst formation and erosion. Given the mission of the AK CSC to inform resource management, adaptation and planning, there is a critical need to translate these scientific findings into products, resources and services that can be useful to decision makers. As a result, the AK CSC is partnering with UAF to hire a new post-doctoral Fellow that will be tasked with the development and dissemination of synthesis products related to permafrost research in recent years. The Fellow will also be a part of the Permafrost Action Team for a National Science Foundation funded project: Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH). This team seeks to document and understand how degradation in near-surface permafrost will affect Arctic and global systems using synthesis science. Additional duties of the fellowship will include assisting in the coordination of a permafrost synthesis network to address related research topics. The Fellow will be expected to organize and maintain data sets synthesizing permafrost research, as well as participate in analyzing data and writing publications. The Fellow will help plan meetings, engage stakeholders and coordinate other activities to build and maintain a national and international research network aimed at improving our understanding of the impacts of permafrost change.

ScienceBase WMS

• Alaska CASC
• National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers