1. Photo credit: N. J. Anderson
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research chose the Volume 50 cover photograph to highlight the special section “Environmental Change and Impacts in the Kangerlussuaq Area, West Greenland,” edited by Jacob Yde (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences), N. John Anderson (Loughborough University), Eric Post (University of California, Davis), Jasmine E. Saros (University of Maine), and Jon Telling (Newcastle University).
Shown is the Russell Glacier, one outlet of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and its associated sandur (outwash plain), both dominant features of the Kangerlussuaq area. The image illustrates an important characteristic of this ice marginal landscape: the juxtaposition of glacier ice and streams, sandur (an important source of aeolian dust), moraine and terrestrial vegetation (dwarf shrub tundra and steppe), all of which are changing as the Kangerlussuaq area begins to warm rapidly in the 21st century. In 23 articles, this special section in AAAR addresses many of the geomorphic and ecological processes associated with these landscape features as well as their interactions. The complete list of articles included in the special section is below.
Special Section: Environmental Change and Impacts in the Kangerlussuaq Area, West Greenland
Edited by Jacob C. Yde, N. John Anderson, Eric Post, Jasmine E. Saros, and Jon Telling
Introduction: Environmental change and impacts in the Kangerlussuaq area, west Greenland. Jacob C. Yde, N. John Anderson, Eric Post, Jasmine E. Saros and Jon Telling
The K-transect in west Greenland: Automatic weather station data (1993–2016). Paul C. J. P. Smeets, Peter Kuipers Munneke, Dirk van As, Michiel R. van den Broeke, Wim Boot, Hans Oerlemans, Henk Snellen, Carleen H. Reijmer and Roderik S. W. van de Wal
The K-transect on the western Greenland Ice Sheet: Surface energy balance (2003–2016). P. Kuipers Munneke, C. J. P. P. Smeets, C. H. Reijmer, J. Oerlemans, R. S. W. van de Wal and M. R. van den Broeke
Middle to late Holocene chronology of the western margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet: A comparison with Holocene temperature and precipitation records. Laura B. Levy, Meredith A. Kelly, Patrick A. Applegate, Jennifer A. Howley and Ross A. Virginia
Ice-dammed lake and ice-margin evolution during the Holocene in the Kangerlussuaq area of west Greenland. Jonathan L. Carrivick, Jacob C. Yde, Niels Tvis Knudsen and Christian Kronborg
21st-century climate change around Kangerlussuaq, west Greenland: From the ice sheet to the shores of Davis Strait. F. Boberg, P. L. Langen, R. H. Mottram, J. H. Christensen and M. Olesen
Near-margin ice thickness and subglacial water routing, Leverett Glacier, Greenland. Neil Ross, Andrew J. Sole, Stephen J. Livingstone, Ádam Igneczi and Mathieu Morlighem
High-resolution ice sheet surface mass-balance and spatiotemporal runoff simulations: Kangerlussuaq, west Greenland. Sebastian H. Mernild, Glen E. Liston, Dirk van As, Bent Hasholt and Jacob C. Yde
Observed sediment and solute transport from the Kangerlussuaq sector of the Greenland Ice Sheet (2006–2016). Bent Hasholt, Dirk van As, Andreas B. Mikkelsen, Sebastian H. Mernild and Jacob C. Yde
Reconstructing Greenland Ice Sheet meltwater discharge through the Watson River (1949–2017).Dirk van As, Bent Hasholt, Andreas P. Ahlstrøm, Jason E. Box, John Cappelen, William Colgan, Robert S. Fausto, Sebastian H. Mernild, Andreas Bech Mikkelsen, Brice P.Y. Noël, Dorthe Petersen and Michiel R. van den Broeke
Seasonal and decadal variability of dust observations in the Kangerlussuaq area, west Greenland. Joanna E. Bullard and Tom Mockford
Quantifying rates of soil deflation with Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry in west Greenland. Ruth C. Heindel, Jonathan W. Chipman, James T. Dietrich and Ross A. Virginia
Topographic shading influences cryoconite morphodynamics and carbon exchange. J. M. Cook, M. Sweet, O. Cavalli, A. Taggart and A. Edwards
Rapid development of anoxic niches in supraglacial ecosystems. Ewa A. Poniecka, Elizabeth A. Bagshaw, Martyn Tranter, Henrik Sass, Christopher J. Williamson, Alexandre M. Anesio and Black and Bloom Team
Changes in food web dynamics of low Arctic ponds with varying content of dissolved organic carbon. Heather L. Mariash, Matteo Cazzanelli, Milla Rautio, Ladislav Hamerlik, Matthew J. Wooller and Kirsten S. Christoffersen
Shifting DOC concentration and quality in the freshwater lakes of the Kangerlussuaq region: An experimental assessment of possible mechanisms. Rachel A. Fowler, Jasmine E. Saros and Christopher L. Osburn
Spatial variation in stable isotopic composition of organic matter of macrophytes and sediments from a small Arctic lake in west Greenland. Hilary A. Thompson, Jeffrey R. White and Lisa M. Pratt
A landscape-isotopic approach to the geochemical characterization of lakes in the Kangerlussuaq region, west Greenland. Emily Henkemans, Shaun K. Frape, Timo Ruskeeniemi, Nicholas John Anderson and Monique Hobbs
Assessing ecological effects of glacial meltwater on lakes fed by the Greenland Ice Sheet: The role of nutrient subsidies and turbidity. Benjamin T. Burpee, Dennis Anderson and Jasmine E. Saros
On the sensitivity of root and leaf phenology to warming in the Arctic. Laura Radville, Eric Post and David M. Eissenstat
Pollen limitation and reproduction of three plant species across a temperature gradient in western Greenland. Christine Urbanowicz, Ross A. Virginia and Rebecca E. Irwin
Landscape variation in soil carbon stocks and respiration in an Arctic tundra ecosystem, west Greenland. Julia I. Bradley-Cook and Ross A. Virginia
Summer meltwater and spring sea ice primary production, light climate and nutrients in an Arctic estuary, Kangerlussuaq, west Greenland. Lars Chresten Lund-Hansen, Ian Hawes, Morten Holtegaard Nielsen, Ingela Dahllöf and Brian K Sorrell
Heterogeneous changes in the surface area of lakes in the Kangerlussuaq area of Southwestern Greenland between 1995 and 2017. A.C. Law, A. Nobajas, and R. Sangonzalo