IS CRYOHYDROGEOLOGY A CATALYST FOR ARCTIC CHANGE?

Climate change is transforming Arctic hydrologic systems and water resources with much of our knowledge based on data collected at or near the land surface from localized field studies or through remote sensing observations. While these studies yield extremely valuable information about shifts in surface water and ground ice distribution, river discharge, and soil moisture, the underpinnings of many of these water-related changes are linked to changing hydrogeologic conditions. Thawing of ancient permafrost is opening new subsurface pathways for groundwater flow, thereby altering fluxes and distribution of water, energy, and solutes. We identify different ways that these changes impact Northern society, including the potential for increased contaminant transport, modification to water resources, and enhanced rates of infrastructure (e.g. buildings and roads) damage. Further, as permafrost thaws it allows groundwater to transport carbon and nutrients from terrestrial to aquatic environments via progressively deeper subsurface flowpaths. Groundwater has the potential to catalyze a positive feedback on environmental change in the Arctic and is a critical component of the narrative of how the Arctic will respond to climate change, both physically and socially. Our presentation argues for the inclusion of cryohydrogeology, the study of groundwater in cold regions, within transdisciplinary Northern research initiatives.