Utqiaġvik NEON / BARR

Utqiaġvik (BARR) is a terrestrial NEON field site located on the coastal plains of the North Slope of Alaska near Utqiaġvik, AK (formerly known as Barrow). It is the NEON Program’s northernmost field site. The 50 km² (12,400 acre) site is within the Charles Etok Edwardsen Barrow Environmental Observatory, about 500 km (310 mi.) north of the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Chukchi Sea. The site represents the polygon tundra and lake systems across the northern extent of the North Slope of Alaska. The landscape is extremely flat with a max elevation of 15 m (50 ft.) above sea level. Field site boundaries overlap other ecological research networks, allowing opportunities for larger datasets and longer time series. BARR is part of the NEON Tundra Domain (D18), which includes the northern and western parts of Alaska. D18 hosts three other NEON field sites in Alaska: two aquatic sites and the TOOL terrestrial site, all located on the North Slopes of the Brooks Range. [1] [2] [3] [4] [10]

The climate at BARR is characterized by long, cold winters; short, cool summers; persistent wind driven by the nearby Arctic Ocean; and extreme seasonal variation. While the winters are frigid and dark, 24-hour sunlight in the summer breathes abundant life into the dynamic tundra ecosystem. Snowmelt and freeze-up conditions drive the hydrological cycle at the field site. As expected, temperatures are relatively very low throughout the year, with an average mean temperature of -12°C (10°F). Much of the 105 mm (4.1 in.) average annual precipitation occurs in the summer months as well. When the sun sets in mid-November, it won’t return until late January. Much of NEON’s field work is done in the summer, but sensors collect meteorological data 365 days a year. [6] [7] [14]

The region was never glaciated, and the surface is mantled with Quaternary deposits of alluvial, aeolian stratified sand, or glaciofluvial origin. [10]

Soils at BARR contain permafrost as the site is located in the zone of continuous permafrost. The soils are characterized as Typic Histoturbels, which have a thick layer of organic matter at the surface and are often saturated for long periods of time. The high organic matter in the soils at BARR is mostly due to persistent cold temperatures that limit decomposition and promote the accumulation of organic material from vegetation. This organic material insulates the underlying permafrost. [6] [8] [9]

Continuous permafrost beneath BARR soils isolates water to the surface, so soil drainage is little to none. Combined with limited relief, water pools in lower areas and leads to ubiquitous lakes and ponds. Small topographic highs form ice wedge polygon troughs, creating water channels during the summer. After the snowmelt period, which is typically in early to mid-June, evapotranspiration plays a significant role in the hydrological cycle due to the 24-hour sunlight. Additionally, chemical taliks - subsurface zones which remain unfrozen due to a high concentration of salinity in the groundwater - also occur at BARR. [6]

Hundreds of miles from any tree, vegetation must be strong enough to survive the harsh conditions of the Arctic Tundra. Grasses and sedges are the dominant vegetation, but dwarf shrubs and ericaceous communities exist within the drier parts of the site. According to the National Land Cover Database, the dominant land cover type is Sedge Herbaceous, with Emergent Herbaceous wetlands covering 20.8% of the site boundary. Water sedge (Carex aquatilis) is far and away the most common plant species at the site, accounting for almost 40% mean cover. Other common plants at BARR include the tussock-forming cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum) and tundra grass (Dupontia fisheri). [1] [8]

Terrestrial species at BARR are limited to homoiothermic (warm-bodied) mammals and birds, with no reptiles or amphibians indigenous to the region. Some of the native mammals found in the site include caribou (Rangifer tarandus), muskox (Ovibos moschatus), and arctic fox (Alopex lagopus). Additionally, the site is within the possible range of polar bear (Ursus maritimus). The area also makes up important breeding and nesting territory for migratory birds. Some common bird species that frequent the area include loons, ducks, geese, shorebirds, passerines, owls, ptarmigan, and eagles.[6]

Human habitation in Alaska has been dated back to at least the Pleistocene (11,500 years ago). However, the earliest archaeological findings that indicate human settlement near Utqiaġvik date back only 1000 to 1500 years ago. Prior to European arrival, Iñupiat peoples were found across the Alaskan Arctic. The subsistence harvesting experience gave them intimate connection with the strongly cyclical environment. People ventured out onto sea ice to hunt for bowhead whale. If a whale was caught, a festival called Nalukatuk would take place to celebrate the harvest, commemorating it with a blanket toss, where participants are tossed in the air while other members hold the edge of the blanket. The Nalukatuk tradition carries on today. Slick, small boats called Umiaqs were used to hunt walrus and seal later in the season when the sea ice opened.

The nearby town of Utqiaġvik was incorporated as a city (called Barrow, AK) in 1958. However, the area has a research history that dates back to the late 1800s. In 1881, the U.S. Army Signal Corps encamped in the area on an expedition focused on investigating the northernmost point of U.S. territory. Government and independent expeditions soon followed and focused on ethnological, geographical, and zoological studies. Later, in the 1940s and 1950s, construction of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) line and exploration in the National Petroleum Reserve brought new people to the area and increased research interests. In the late 1940s, the Arctic Research Laboratory (later renamed as the Naval Arctic Research Lab (NARL)) was built. NARL was established as a scientific research laboratory where scientists could, under contract with the Navy, conduct environmental research. This laboratory supported a large number of atmospheric, biological, oceanic, and terrestrial research activities. In the early 1980s, all research support at NARL ceased, and the Naval Facility was decommissioned and eventually turned over to the Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC). Both short-term and ongoing research continue to be based out of the UIC-NARL facility. In 1992, UIC set aside the 30 km² (7466 acre) reserve known as the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), which was established for long-term environmental monitoring efforts. The BEO is next to the NOAA-Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory site, which monitors atmospheric parameters and is involved with many research agencies.

Today, Utqiaġvik is still known for its subsistence-harvesting Iñupiat community. Over 60% of the approximately 4400 residents of Utqiaġvik are Iñupiat Eskimo. Recently, the community formally changed the name of the city from Barrow back to the traditional Iñupiat name Utqiaġvik. [2] [5] [11] [16] [15] [17]

The Barrow Environmental Observatory is managed by the Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC), an Alaska Native Corporation founded in 1973 following the Alaska Native Claims Act in 1971. Today, UIC employs over 3500 people and provides commercial services across the state. A branch of the corporation, UIC Science, LLC, supports and facilitates field research operations in the observatory. In 1992, the 30 km² (7466 acre) Charles Etok Edwardsen Barrow Environmental Observatory was established for environmental research. In addition to the field site, UIC Science provides physical infrastructure in the form of offices, labs and equipment. Local Inupiat whalers, hunters, and survival experts provide institutional knowledge and skills to support a wide variety of scientific functions in the Observatory. Today, the Observatory supports 40 to 50 projects a year. Researchers from around the world, including NEON technicians, come together to study this dynamic tundra ecosystem, where eroding coastlines and diminishing sea ice make a changing climate evident. [12] [13]

The plot establishment and initial sampling readiness review in BARR began in July 2017. Dry runs of observational sampling began in late 2017. Instrumentation systems went online and began producing data in April 2017.