TY - JOUR
T1 - An analysis of streamflow hydrology in the Kuparuk River Basin, Arctic Alaska
T2 - A nested watershed approach
AU - McNamara, James P.
AU - Kane, Douglas L.
AU - Hinzman, Larry D.
PY - 1998/4
Y1 - 1998/4
N2 - A hydrologic monitoring program was implemented in a nest of watersheds within the Kuparuk River basin in northern Alaska as part of an interdisciplinary effort to quantify the flux of mass and energy from a large arctic area. Described here are characteristics of annual hydrographs and individual storm hydrographs of four basins draining areas of 0.026 km2, 2.2 km2, 142 km2, and 8140 km2; an assessment of the influence that permafrost has on those characteristics; and comparisons to rivers in regions without permafrost. Snowmelt runoff dominated the annual runoff in each basin. A typical storm hydrograph in the Kuparuk River basin had a fast initial response time, long time lags between the hyetograph and hydrograph centroids, an extended recession, and a high runoff/precipitation ratio due to the diminished storage caused by permafrost. The seemingly contradictory results of fast response times and extended recessions can be explained by the presence of a large saturated area occupied by hillslope water tracks. This saturated area provides a partial-source area for fast runoff generation that bypasses the storage capacity of organic soils and tundra vegetation.
AB - A hydrologic monitoring program was implemented in a nest of watersheds within the Kuparuk River basin in northern Alaska as part of an interdisciplinary effort to quantify the flux of mass and energy from a large arctic area. Described here are characteristics of annual hydrographs and individual storm hydrographs of four basins draining areas of 0.026 km2, 2.2 km2, 142 km2, and 8140 km2; an assessment of the influence that permafrost has on those characteristics; and comparisons to rivers in regions without permafrost. Snowmelt runoff dominated the annual runoff in each basin. A typical storm hydrograph in the Kuparuk River basin had a fast initial response time, long time lags between the hyetograph and hydrograph centroids, an extended recession, and a high runoff/precipitation ratio due to the diminished storage caused by permafrost. The seemingly contradictory results of fast response times and extended recessions can be explained by the presence of a large saturated area occupied by hillslope water tracks. This saturated area provides a partial-source area for fast runoff generation that bypasses the storage capacity of organic soils and tundra vegetation.
KW - Alaska
KW - Arctic
KW - Permafrost
KW - Runoff
KW - Streamflow
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032051664&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0022-1694(98)00083-3
DO - 10.1016/S0022-1694(98)00083-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0032051664
SN - 0022-1694
VL - 206
SP - 39
EP - 57
JO - Journal of Hydrology
JF - Journal of Hydrology
IS - 1-2
ER -