Fact Sheet 2011–3040
The Active Layer Network (ALN) was launched in 2009 as a cooperative project between the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and the U.S. Geological Survey. The active layer is the layer of soil above the permanently frozen ground that thaws during the summer months and freezes again in the autumn. By measuring the depth of the active layer in late summer at the time of maximum thaw, we are able to better understand the effects of a warming climate on permafrost. The goal of the first two years (2009–2010) was to install the first active layer monitoring network for the entire Yukon River Basin (YRB) and to determine the feasibility of sustaining and evolving the network within the YRB. In August and September 2009, the project was initiated and 12 ALN grid sites were installed. In 2010, 8 more sites were installed, completing a basin-wide network of 20 sites across the YRB. |
First posted April 13, 2011 For additional information contact: Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge. |
Schuster, P.F., Thomas, Carol, and Maracle, Karonhiakta'tie Bryan, 2011, The Yukon River Basin Active Layer Network—A cooperative project between the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and the U.S. Geological Survey: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2011–3040, 4 p.
Introduction
Problem and Need
Previous Work
Methods
Site Locations
Design
Community Participation
Challenges and Future Work
References Cited
Acknowledgments