Hydrological, meteorological, and watershed controls on the water balance of thermokarst lakes between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Abstract δ I E/I). We identified four distinct water balance phases as lakes responded to seasonal shifts in meteorological conditions and hydrological processes. During the freshet phase from 1 May to 15 June, the median E/I  ratio of lakes decreased from 0.20 to 0.13 in response to freshet runoff and limited evaporation due to lake ice presence that persisted for the duration of this phase. During the following warm, dry, and ice-free period from 15 June to 26 July, designated the evaporation phase, the median E/I  ratio increased to 0.19. During the brief soil wetting phase, E/I  ratios did not respond to rainfall between 26 July and 2 August, likely because watershed soils absorbed most of the precipitation which resulted in minimal runoff to lakes. The median E/I  ratio decreased to 0.11 after a cool and rainy August, identified as the recharge phase. Throughout the sampling period, δ I E/I  ratios that we observed at lakes (0.00–0.43) was relatively narrow and low compared with thermokarst lakes in other regions, likely owing to the large ratio of watershed area to lake area (WA/LA), efficient preferential flow pathways for runoff, and a shorter ice-free season. Lakes with smaller WA/LA tended to have higher E/I  ratios (R 2 = WA/LA and E/I was derived and used to predict the average E/I  ratio of 7340 lakes in the region, which identified that these lakes are not vulnerable to desiccation, given that E/I  ratios were < WA/LA will be more influenced by increasing evaporation, while lakes with a larger WA/LA will be more resistant to lake-level drawdown. However under wetter conditions, lakes with a larger WA/LA will likely experience a greater increases in lake level and could be more susceptible to rapid drainage.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Hydrological, meteorological, and watershed controls on the water balance of thermokarst lakes between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada ; volume:27 ; number:11 ; year:2023 ; pages:2173-2188 ; extent:16 ; Hydrology and earth system sciences ; 27, Heft 11 (2023), 2173-2188 (gesamt 16)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Wilcox, Evan J. ; Wolfe, Brent B. ; Marsh, Philip

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/hess-27-2173-2023
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023061504335199379172
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 11:01 AM CEST