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ESTIMATING TALIK DEPTH BENEATH LAKES IN ARCTIC ALASKA

Session: John Ross MacKay Symposium - Permafrost II / Symposium John Ross MacKay - Pergélisol II

Kenneth Hinkel, University of Cincinnati (United States)
Christopher Arp, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks (United States)

Water temperature and morphometric data were collected from 28 lakes in Arctic Alaska of various size, geometry, depth and genesis. Using methods pioneered by J. Ross Mackay, calculations of temperature beneath the lake indicate that 20 of these have through taliks. We estimate that over 2100 lakes in the study area have through taliks, suggesting that the continuous permafrost is riddled with taliks that may connect surface lake water with sub-permafrost water.