Campus Units
Geological and Atmospheric Sciences
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
12-2009
Journal or Book Title
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Volume
114
Issue
G4
First Page
G04019
DOI
10.1029/2008JG000902
Abstract
The pace of change in the arctic system during recent decades has captured the world's attention. Observations and model simulations both indicate that the arctic experiences an amplified response to climate forcing relative to that at lower latitudes. At the core of these changes is the arctic hydrologic system, which includes ice, gaseous vapor in the atmosphere, liquid water in soils and fluvial networks on land, and the freshwater content of the ocean. The changes in stores and fluxes of freshwater have a direct impact on biological systems, not only of the arctic region itself, but also well beyond its bounds. In this investigation, we used a heuristic, graphical approach to distill the system into its fundamental parts, documented the key relationships between those parts as best we know them, and identified the feedback loops within the system. The analysis illustrates relationships that are well understood, but also reveals others that are either unfamiliar, uncertain, or unexplored. The graphical approach was used to provide a visual assessment of the arctic hydrologic system in one possible future state in which the Arctic Ocean is seasonally ice free.
Copyright Owner
American Geophysical Union
Copyright Date
2009
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Francis, Jennifer A.; White, Daniel M.; Cassano, John J.; Gutowski, William J. Jr.; Hinzman, Larry D.; Holland, Marika M.; Steele, Michael A.; and Vörösmarty, Charles J., "An arctic hydrologic system in transition: Feedbacks and impacts on terrestrial, marine, and human life" (2009). Geological and Atmospheric Sciences Publications. 79.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ge_at_pubs/79
Included in
Climate Commons, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons, Hydrology Commons
Comments
This article is from J. Geophys. Res., 114, G04019, doi:10.1029/2008JG000902. Posted with permission.