Resources

Baseline (1961-1990) average winter temperature in and projected change in temperature for for the northern portion of Alaska. For the purposes of these maps, 'winter' is defined as December - February. The Alaska portion of the Arctic LCC's terrestrial boundary is depicted by the black line. Baseline results for 1961-1990 are derived from Climate Research Unit (CRU) TS3.1 data and downscaled to 2km grids; results for the other time periods (2010-2039, 2040-2069, 2070-2099) are based on the SNAP 5-GCM composite using the AR5-RCP 8.5, downscaled to 2km grids.

This raster, created in 2010, is output from the Geophysical Institute Permafrost Lab (GIPL) model and represents simulated mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) in Celsius, averaged across a decade, at the base of active layer or at the base of the seasonally frozen soil column. The file name specifies the decade the raster represents. For example, a file named MAGT_1980_1989.tif represents the decade spanning 1980-1989.

There is a great deal of interest in whether and how Alaska's precipitation is changing but little agreement in the existing peer-reviewed literature. To provide insight on this question, we have selected three commonly used 0.5° resolution gridded precipitation products that have long-term monthly data coverage (Climatic Research Unit TS3.10.1, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre Full Data Reanalysis version 5, and University of Delaware version 2.01) and evaluated their homogeneity and trends with multiple methods over two periods, 1950–2008 and 1980–2008.

Field measurements, satellite observations, and models document a thinning trend in seasonal Arctic
lake ice growth, causing a shift from bedfast to floating ice conditions. September sea ice
concentrations in the Arctic Ocean since 1991 correlate well (r=+0.69, p regime shift. To understand how and to what extent sea ice affects lakes, we conducted model
experiments to simulate winters with years of high (1991/92) and low (2007/08) sea ice extent for
which we also had field measurements and satellite imagery characterizing lake ice conditions. Alake

These raster datasets represent historical stand age. The last four digits of the file name specifies the year represented by the raster. For example a file named Age_years_historical_1990.tif represents the year 1990. Cell values represent the age of vegetation in years since last fire, with zero (0) indicating burned area in that year. Files from years 1860-2006 use a variety of historical datasets for Boreal ALFRESCO model spin up and calibration to most closely match historical wildfire dynamics.

Average historical total precipitation (mm) in winter (December - February) and projected relative change in total precipitation (% change from baseline) for Northern Alaska. 30-year averages. Handout format. Maps created using the SNAP 5-GCM composite (AR5-RCP 6.0) and CRU TS3.1.01 datasets.

Potential Evapotranspiration (PET): These data represent decadal mean totals of potential evapotranspiration estimates (mm). The file name specifies the decade the raster represents. For example, a file named pet_mean_mm_decadal_CRU_Historical_annual_1930-1939.tif represents the decade spanning 1930-1939. The data were generated by using the Hamon equation and output from a statistically downscaled version of the Hadley Centre's CRU TS3.0 observational dataset. Data are at 2km x 2km resolution, and all data are stored in geotiffs.

In Arctic ecosystems, freshwater fish migrate
seasonally between productive shallow water habitats
that freeze in winter and deep overwinter refuge in rivers
and lakes. How these movements relate to seasonal hydrology
is not well understood.We used passive integrated
transponder tags and stream wide antennae to track
1035 Arctic grayling in Crea Creek, a seasonally flowing
beaded stream on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska. Migration
of juvenile and adult fish into Crea Creek peaked

Map of the Kuparuk River Area and location of proposed observation sites (numbered circles). The Watershed spans from the upper Brooks Foothills to the Coastal Plain Ecoregions. Inset shows the location of the seven TEON focal watersheds. Image by Arctic LCC staff.

Potential Evapotranspiration (PET): These data represent decadal mean totals of potential evapotranspiration estimates (mm). The file name specifies the decade the raster represents. For example, a file named pet_mean_mm_decadal_CCCMA_CGCM31_A1B_annual_2000-2009.tif represents the decade spanning 2000-2009. The data were generated by using the Hamon equation and output from CCCMA (also CGCM3.1), a third generation coupled global climate model created by the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis. Data are at 2km x 2km resolution, and all data are stored in geotiffs.

Hydrologic data for the Alaska Arctic are sparse, and fewer still are long-term (> 10 year) datasets. This lack of baseline information hindered our ability to assess long-term alterations in streamflow due to changing climate. The Arctic LCC is provided stop-gap funding to continue this long time series hydrological data sets in the Kuparuk and Putuligayuk watersheds

Average historical annual temperature, projected air temperature, and change in air temperature (degree C) for Northern Alaska. GIF formatted animation and PNG images. Maps created using the SNAP 5-GCM composite (AR5-RCP 6.0) and CRU TS3.1 datasets.

The Snow Bunting is one of the first birds to return to their Arctic breeding grounds, with males
arriving in early April. This species occurs throughout the circumpolar arctic and, as a cavitynester,
will use human-made nest sites (e.g. barrels, buildings, pipelines) as readily as natural
ones (rock cavities, under boulders, cliff faces; Lyon and Montgomerie 1995). Snow Buntings
consume a wide variety of both plant (e.g. seeds, plant buds) and animal prey (invertebrates).

The Gyrfalcon, the largest falcon, is an iconic bird of the circumpolar arctic and subarctic. This
species nests primarily on precipitous cliff faces and typically utilizes nests built by other species
(particularly Common Raven, Golden Eagle, and Rough-legged Hawk) (Booms et al. 2008).
Gyrfalcon main prey includes bird species ranging in size from passerines to geese while
ptarmigan are the preferred prey. Although not well documented, in winter this species moves
south throughout Canada and sometimes into the northern lower 48. Current population on the

Potential Evapotranspiration (PET): These data represent decadal mean totals of potential evapotranspiration estimates (mm). The file name specifies the decade the raster represents. For example, a file named pet_mean_mm_decadal_MPI_ECHAM5_A1B_annual_2000-2009.tif represents the decade spanning 2000-2009. The data were generated by using the Hamon equation and output from ECHAM5, a fifth generation general circulation model created by the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg Germany. Data are at 2km x 2km resolution, and all data are stored in geotiffs.

Potential Evapotranspiration (PET): These data represent decadal mean totals of potential evapotranspiration estimates (mm). The file name specifies the decade the raster represents. For example, a file named pet_mean_mm_decadal_CRU_Historical_annual_1930-1939.tif represents the decade spanning 1930-1939. The data were generated by using the Hamon equation and output from a statistically downscaled version of the Hadley Centre's CRU TS3.0 observational dataset. Data are at 2km x 2km resolution, and all data are stored in geotiffs.

This paper explores the impacts of shrinking glaciers on downstream ecosystems in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Glaciers here are losing mass at an accelerating rate and will largely disappear in the next 50–100 years if current trends continue. We believe this will have a measurable and possibly important impact on the terrestrial and estuarine ecosystems and the associated bird and fish species within these glaciated watersheds.

More than 35,000 lakes larger than 0.01 sq. km. were extracted from an airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) derived digital surface model acquired between 2002 and 2006 for the Western Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. The IfSAR derived lake data layer provides an improvement over previously available datasets for the study area since it is more comprehensive and contemporary.

The distribution and abundance of fishes across the Alaska Arctic is not well understood. Better information on fish distribution is needed for habitat assessment and modeling activities and is also important for planning industrial activities. The State of Alaska maintains a fish distribution database for anadromous fish species, however there is currently no analog for resident fish species. The concept behind AquaBase was to fill the information gap for resident fish by design a database that contains information about all fish species.

The Red-throated Loon is the smallest of the world’s five loon species. This species typically
breeds in low wetlands in both tundra and forested terrain (Barr et al. 2000). They nest on pond
edges, sometimes along very small ponds ( with Pacific Loons (Barr et al. 2000). Red-throated Loons are unique in that they regularly
forage on fish away from their nesting ponds.In Arctic Alaska this often involves flights to the
Arctic Ocean (Andres 1993). Like Yellow-billed Loons, the North American breeding

These data are the result of a geospatial analysis involving multi-year SAR-based lake ice regime classification using sigma-naught backscatter intensity from calibrated space-borne C-band SAR for thousands of lakes in 7 lake districts in Alaska, USA, detailed in Engram et al., (in review). Historically, radar backscatter from space-borne and airborne platforms shows a lower backscatter return from bedfast lake ice and a higher backscatter return from floating ice (where liquid phase water exists under the ice) (Jeffries, Morris, Weeks, & Wakabayashi, 1994; Weeks, 1977).

Historically, available den habitat models have been based primarily on the presence of topographic features capable of capturing drifting snow. In any given season, however, the availability and precise location of snowdrifts of sufficient size to accommodate a bear den depends on the antecedent snowfall and wind conditions, and these vary from one year to the next. Thus, suitable topography is a necessary pre-condition, but is not sufficient to accurately predict potential den sites in a given year.

Baseline (1961-1990) average winter temperature in and projected change in temperature for for the northern portion of Alaska. For the purposes of these maps, 'winter' is defined as December - February. The Alaska portion of the Arctic LCC's terrestrial boundary is depicted by the black line. Baseline results for 1961-1990 are derived from Climate Research Unit (CRU) TS3.1 data and downscaled to 2km grids; results for the other time periods (2010-2039, 2040-2069, 2070-2099) are based on the SNAP 5-GCM composite using the AR5-RCP 8.5, downscaled to 2km grids.

This raster, created in 2010, is output from the Geophysical Institute Permafrost Lab (GIPL) model and represents simulated active layer thickness (ALT) in meters averaged across a decade. The file name specifies the decade the raster represents. For example, a file named ALT_1980_1989.tif represents the decade spanning 1980-1989. Cell values represent simulated maximum depth (in meters) of thaw penetration (for areas with permafrost) or frost penetration (for areas without permafrost).