ABSTRACT:   In autumn 1997 a snow fence was constructed near Barrow. The wooden plank structure is 4 m high and extends 3.2 km. In October 1998, soil temperature loggers were installed at depths of 5 and 25 cm at several sites near the snow fence and in an unaffected control region. Snow thickness is measured along surveyed transects each spring, and thaw depth is measured along the same transects in August. Typically, the drift exceeds 4 m in height and extends ~50 m downwind from the fence for nearly its entire length. Near-surface soil temperature beneath the drift averages 8°C warmer during the winter compared to the control. Soil in scour zones begins to thaw in late May owing to the thin or absent snow cover, and experiences relatively deep summer thaw. Thaw depth beneath the drift is relatively shallow because the drift persists 4-10 weeks, thus delaying soil thaw initiation.  There is some evidence to suggest ground subsidence of the ice-rich permafrost is occurring, but the effects of thaw consolidation cannot be detected by surface probing.  A program of high-resolution surveying, using differential GPS methods, is being implemented.

Spatiotemporal patterns of permafrost destabilization following snow fence installation at Barrow, Alaska.. Presentation given at 2006 meeting of the Association of American Geographers, March 2006, Chicago.

Permafrost Destabilization and Thermokarst Following Snow Fence Installation, Barrow, Alaska, U.S.A. Article published in Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research.