Articles | Volume 13, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1439-2016
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1439-2016
Research article
 | 
08 Mar 2016
Research article |  | 08 Mar 2016

Nonlinear thermal and moisture response of ice-wedge polygons to permafrost disturbance increases heterogeneity of high Arctic wetland

Etienne Godin, Daniel Fortier, and Esther Lévesque

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Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
ED: Reconsider after major revisions (11 Nov 2015) by Victor Brovkin
AR by Svenja Lange on behalf of the Authors (05 Jan 2016)  Author's response
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (14 Jan 2016) by Victor Brovkin
RR by Anonymous Referee #1 (08 Feb 2016)
ED: Publish as is (12 Feb 2016) by Victor Brovkin
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Short summary
Bowl-shaped ice-wedge polygons in permafrost regions can retain snowmelt water and moisture in their center. On Bylot Island (NU, CA), a rapidly developing thermal erosion gully eroded the polygons' ridges, impacting the polygon centers' ground moisture and temperature, plant cover and species. An intact polygon was homogeneous in its center for the aforementioned elements, whereas eroded polygons had a varying response following the breach, with heterogeneity as their new equilibrium state.
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