Permafrost temperatures at depth represent a systematic running mean of the temperature history of the permafrost surface. Global changes, such as climatic warming associated with increasing CO2 content in the atmosphere, are reflected in the permafrost temperature profiles. A host of serious environmental and engineering problems that have a substantial impact on the use of polar lands are associated with thawing permafrost. However, data on the thermal regime of permafrost in Alaska are very sparse and mostly unusable because of surface disturbances near the drill holes. This investigation will measure permafrost temperatures at sixteen undisturbed sites along the trans-Alaska pipeline corridor which includes Alaska's three major climate and permafrost zones and at fifteen other widely distributed sites in Alaska. Measurements will include temperatures in the air, at the ground surface, in the active layer, at the permafrost table and in the permafrost to depths of 80 meters or more. This project will also investigate changes in active layer thicknesses and any thawing at the permafrost table or base.
