Yukon River Basin Study National Stream Quality Accounting Network National Research Program Alaska Science Center.

Yukon River Basin StudyNational Stream Quality Accounting Network

National Research ProgramAlaska Science Center

Eastern RegionTom KraemerMary VoytekLisa Fogarty

Central RegionGeorge AikenKenna ButlerMark DornblaserDennis EberlDoug HalmBob MeadeMike ReddyPaul SchusterRob StrieglHoward TaylorKim Wickland

Western RegionCarol KendallBob MichelDan Doctor

NASQAN Yukon River Project Participants NRP

AKSteve FrenzelTim BrabetsMat SchellekensDustin LangleyGary SolinZan FrederickRandy HostEd Neal

WIDave KrabbenhoftMark OlsonJohn DeWild

TXPete Van MetreBarb Mahler

OWQSteve Sorenson

District

USMAlan Shiller

Inter-tribal Council: Rob RosenfeldContract Observers

GAArt Horowitz

YalePete Raymond

Ca

Brian Bergamaschi

ORValerie Kelly

UMNJacques Finlay

FSUJeff Chanton

InvestigatorsAiken: DOC characterization; carbon cyclingStriegl: CO2 fluxes; carbon cyclingKrabbenhoft: Hg cyclingReddy/Schuster: Hg-DOC interactions, major ionsKendall: POM isotopesHorowitz: Trace metals in sedimentsEberl: Sediment mineralogyShiller: Trace metal cyclingTaylor: Major cations, trace metals, nutrients, rare earthsMichel: TritiumKraemer: U isotopesBrabets: River hydrology/sedimentsHost/Neal (AK): Discharge (ADCP)

Motorboat Operation Certification Class: swift water trainingIn water PFD trainingWilderness survival, 1st aid/CPRFirearms/pepper spray training: bearsInoculations: Hepatitis

Safety Concerns

Safety Training

Tributary/main stem sampling point selection based on:• Logistics (Can we measure discharge?)• QW data (Kayaker; identify end members)• Research interests• Basin characteristics

• Permafrost coverage• Size• Land use (mining)• Veg classification• Physiography• Source area

Intensive Sampling Campaigns: NRPProcess-based studies

BRR-CRIntensive sampling: Progress to date

2002 Eagle to bridge (2 trips)

2100 river miles22 sampling sites~1500 WQ samples

2003 Bridge to Pilot (1st trip)

930 river miles17 sampling sites~570 WQ samples

Fixed Station Sampling: AK SC

Five Stations: Yukon @Eagle (at Canadian border) Porcupine River (major trib) Yukon @ Bridge (this photo) Tanana River (major trib) Yukon @ Pilot Station (“outlet”)

Sampling schedule (2001-2005) One under ice sampling in March Every two weeks after ice out (June to Oct)

approx 7 samples from each Station

Baseline data

AK Science Center Fixed Station sampling: Progress to date

Confluence of the Yukon andTanana Rivers showing the mixing zone

5 stations sampled2001: 7 times2002: 7 times2003: 3 times to date

American Creek

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CO2 (ppm) pH

Outreach: Eagle, Alaska, American Creek

Grades K6-12

Water quality sampling

CO2 sampling

George Aiken motoringup a trib to collect DOCand other samples

Distinct hydrologic connection to the transport of carbon

Consistent SUVAs suggest a common source of carbon

Carbon Cycling

Carbon dioxide and Methane emissions Where and when are the sources and sinks?

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Main Stem

Preliminary data: Main stem and tribsbetween Eagle and Bridge2.5x to 10x > atm CO2

Rob Striegl collects a sample forCO2 and methane

Respiration

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Permafrost Collapse Bog

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PermafrostCollapse Bogs

Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)

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Terrestrial C Cycling and Permafrost MeltingTerrestrial C Cycling and Permafrost Melting

Black spruce forests underlain by permafrost may be converted to wetlands when the permafrost melts.Results from lab incubations of soils collected from a black spruce forest and a collapse bog indicatethat potential CO2 loss through respiration and potential DOC loss decrease after a forest collapsesand becomes a wetland. This is probably in part due to vegetation changes. Field and lab studies arecurrently underway to further investigate the effects of permafrost melting on C cycling.

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)

Randy Host, AK SCsetting up ADCP for a discharge measurementon the Yukon River

Process-based research

Do the relations hold as we move up in streamorder (scale) from very small to very large?

Will climate-change (i.e. melting permafrost)affect the ecology of the Yukon basin across scales?

Characterizing a river system as large as the Yukon andunderstanding carbon cycling and metals interactionsin the Yukon River Drainage Basin will be as challenging as navigating the twisted channels of the Yukon Flats