Postdoctoral Fellowship: OPP-PRF: Tracking Long-Term Changes in Lake Area across the Arctic

University Of Oregon Eugene, Eugene OR

Investigators

Abstract

There are more lakes and ponds in the Arctic than anywhere else in the world. These lakes provide habitat for wildlife and support the subsistence activities of Indigenous communities. Arctic lakes are also an important component of the climate system. Changes in lake area could strengthen or reduce climate change feedbacks, depending on whether lakes expand or shrink. Previous research shows that climate change is causing Arctic lake area to change, but the overall trend is unclear. This project uses high-resolution satellite data to assess the direction and magnitude of surface water change in the Arctic. Based on project findings, the PI will develop a set of best practices for tracking Arctic lake area change and determine whether lakes are expanding or shrinking in five Arctic regions. This research aims to reduce uncertainties in the magnitude and direction of Arctic lake area change by advancing understanding of interannual variation and developing a methodological approach to identify long-term trends in Arctic surface water. The researcher will use Planet (3 m) images to generate multi-year high resolution maps of surface water in five Arctic regions: the Arctic Coastal Plain, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the Yukon Flats, the Mackenzie River Delta, and the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula. These high-resolution maps will be used as a reference for quantifying the accuracy and sensitivity of existing coarse resolution (i.e., Landsat and MODIS) surface water products. Based on the outcome of this methodological comparison, the researcher will develop a set of best practices for tracking Arctic lake area change with coarse resolution (e.g., Landsat) images, and, in regions where previous work is inconclusive, determine whether lake area has increased or decreased over the past twenty years. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.