SLSCARP10 (2014) low-res

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We are studying erosion and ecological processes in the deflation patches that cover nearly one-quarter of this region's landscape during June and July of 2014. Strong winds blowing off the massive ice sheet in Greenland sweep away fine-grained soil, revealing glacial rock beneath. As the wind cuts into the edge of these patches, it wears away both soil and vegetation, exposing more of the underlying terrain to be eroded. Within these areas, a layer of biological material forms on top of the soil, slowing down further erosion and helping the soil recover over time. Researchers Ruth Heindel, Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College Ross Virginia, Arctic Studies and Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College Jonathan Chipman, Geography and Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College Becca Novello Phoebe Racine References http://sites.dartmouth.edu/rheindel Heindel, R, Chipman, J, Virginia, R, 2015. The Spatial Distribution and Ecological Impacts of Aeolian Soil Erosion in Kangerlussuaq, West Greenland. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Vol. 105, No. 5, pp. 875-890.