permafrost-polygons: permafrost map unit polygons pingos: locations of pingos localities: locations of sites discussed in the text border: outline shape of the study area
Reger, R.D., Hubbard, T.D., and Gallagher, P.E., 2012, Reconnaissance interpretation of 1978-1981 permafrost, Alaska Highway corridor, Tetlin Junction to Canada border, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2012-1C, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
This is a Vector data set.
Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000001
Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000001
Planar coordinates are specified in meters
The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.4.
The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.9786982.
Label: GC indicates Gardiner Creek locality, M indicates soil moisture locality, TM indicates temperature locality, and PES indicates permafrost experiment site
| Value | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gardiner Creek locality | Gardiner Creek locality discussed in text |
| Soil moisture locality | Soil moisture locality discussed in text |
| Temperature locality | Temperature locality discussed in text |
| Permafrost Experiment Site | Permafrost experiment site discussed in text |
| Formal codeset | |
|---|---|
| Codeset Name: | PIR2012-1C Explanation of Map Units |
| Codeset Source: | Reger, R.D., Hubbard, T.D., and Gallagher, P.E., 2012, Reconnaissance interpretation of 1978-1981 permafrost, Alaska Highway corridor, Tetlin Junction to Canada border, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Preliminary Interpretive Report 2012-1C, see Sheet 1 and Sheet 2 |
This research was supported by Alaska State Capital Improvement Projects funding. The authors gratefully acknowledge the helpful review by M. Torre Jorgenson, and able cartographic assistance by James Weakland.
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This report and map are a part of ADGGS's Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Geology and Geohazards project, funded by the state legislature. They show an interpretive evaluation of the presence or absence of permafrost in the study area. The study was done in anticipation of the proposed natural gas pipeline along the Alaska Highway corridor, as a preliminary look at the expected distribution of permafrost based on air photo interpretation. The work was designed to serve as the springboard for the detailed work which would be required if a pipeline were to be built along this corridor. Because of the dearth of subsurface data in most of the map area, our permafrost designations should be considered tentative until validated by multi-year ground-temperature measurements at a depth below the level of annual temperature variation.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1972, Tanacross A-1 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Washington D.C..
U.S. Geological Survey, 1974, Tanacross A-2 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Washington D.C..
U.S. Geological Survey, 2000, Tanacross A-3 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Washington D.C..
U.S. Geological Survey, 1967, Tanacross B-3 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Washington D.C..
U.S. Geological Survey, 1963, Nabesna C-1 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Washington D.C..
U.S. Geological Survey, 1967, Nabesna D-1 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Washington D.C.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1978, Nabesna D-2 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
U.S. Geological Survey, 2000, Nabesna D-3 Quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.
Brown, J., Ferrians, O.J., Jr., Heginbottom, J.A., and Melnikov, E.S., 1977, Circum-arctic map of permafrost and ground-ice conditions: U.S. Geological Survey Circum-pacific Map CP-45.
Ferrians, O.J., Jr., 1965, Permafrost map of Alaska: Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map I-445, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
Ferrians, O.J., Kachadoorian, R., and Greene, G.W., 1969, Permafrost and related engineering problems in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper P 678.
Kreig, R.A., and Reger, R.D., 1982, Air-photo analysis and summary of land-form and soil properties along the route of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System: Geologic Report GR 66, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska.
Reger, R.D., and Hubbard, T.D., 2010, Reconnaissance interpretation of 1978-1983 permafrost, Alaska Highway Corridor, Robertson River to Tetlin Junction, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2009-6C, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK.
Reger, R.D., Stevens, D.S.P., and Solie, D.N., 2008, Reconnaissance interpretation of permafrost, Alaska Highway Corridor, Delta junction to Dot lake, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2008-3C, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK.
Data sources used in this process:
Carver, G.A., Bemis, S.P., Solie, D.N., Castonguay, S.R., and Obermiller, K.E., 2010, Active and potentially active faults in or near the Alaska Highway corridor, Dot Lake to Tetlin Junction, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2010-1, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
Carver, G.A., Bemis, S.P., Solie, D.N., and Obermiller, K.E., 2008, Active and potentially active faults in or near the Alaska Highway corridor, Delta Junction to Dot Lake, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2008-3D, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
Hubbard, T.D., and Reger, R.D., 2010, Engineering-geologic map of the Alaska Highway Corridor, Robertson River to Tetlin Junction, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2009-6B, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
Hubbard, T.D., and Reger, R.D., 201010, Model for Late Wisconsinan Massive Outburst Flooding, Tok River Valley, Northeastern Alaska Range: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs vol. 42, No. 5, Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.
Hubbard, T.D., Reger, R.D., and Gallagher, P.E., 2011, Using lidar to refine geologic mapping and interpretations in the upper Tanana River valley, central Alaska: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs v. 43, no. 5, Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.
Koehler, R.D., and Carver, G.A., Unknown, Active and Potentially active faults along the Alaska Highway corridor, Tetlin Junction to the Canadian border: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
Reger, R.D., and Hubbard, T.D., 2009, Evidence for late Wisconsinan outburst floods in the Tok-Tanacross Basin. upper Tanana River Valley, east-central Alaska: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs V. 41, No. 7, Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.
Reger, R.D., and Hubbard, T.D., 2010, Reconnaissance interpretation of 1978-1983 permafrost, Alaska Highway Corridor, Robertson River to Tetlin Junction, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2009-6C, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
Reger, R.D., Hubbard, T.D., and Carver, G.A., 2011, Surficial geology of Alaska Highway Corridor, Robertson River to Tetlin Junction, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2009-6A, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
Reger, R.D., Hubbard, T.D., and Gallagher, P.E., Unknown, Surficial geology of Alaska Highway corridor, Tetlin Junction to Canada border, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2012-1A, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
Reger, R.D., Hubbard, T.D., and Gallagher, P.E., Unknown, Engineering geology map, Alaska Highway corridor, Tetlin Junction to Canada border, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2012-1B, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
Reger, R.D., and Solie, D.N., 2008, Engineering-geologic map, Alaska Highway corridor, Delta Junction to Dot Lake, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2008-3B, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
Reger, R.D., and Solie, D.N., 2008, Reconnaissance interpretation of permafrost, Alaska Highway corridor, Delta Junction to Dot Lake, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2008-3C, State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.Online Links:
Reger, R.D., Stevens, D.S.P, and Solie, D.N., 2008, Surficial-geologic map, Alaska Highway Corridor, Delta Junction to Dot Lake, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2008-3A, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, AK, USA.
Reger, R.D., Stevens, D.S.P, and Solie, D.N., 2008, Evidence of multiple outburst floods, upper Tanana River valley, east-central Alaska: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs v. 40, no. 1, Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO.
This dataset utilizes ~1:65,000-scale, false-color infrared aerial photographs taken in July 1978 and August 1980 to infer permafrost and ice content boundaries. This report uses the definition of permafrost as rock or soil that remains continuously colder than 0 degrees C (32 degrees F) for two years or longer. The presence or former presence of permafrost and the ground-ice content were inferred from several indicators, including vegetation, slope and aspect, land-form, soil type, local drainage, and terrain features, such as open-system pingos, polygonal ground, and thermokarst pits, gullies, and ponds (see lineage reference - Kreig and Reger, 1982). Permafrost classifications in areas that were burned just prior to aerial photography dates are less reliable than in unburned areas because the vegetation was destroyed or significantly altered and, in these areas, interpretation of permafrost was based only on land form and setting, which are less diagnostic than vegetation. During the 2009 field season we excavated and examined soil pits at selected locations to ground check unit descriptions and contacts. Because of the dearth of subsurface data in most of the map area, our permafrost designations should be considered tentative until validated by multi-year ground-temperature measurements at a depth below the level of annual temperature variation. To check attribute accuracy of the digital files we visually compared the original compilation against test plots of the files and corrected discrepancies between the digital geospatial dataset and the original analog as needed. The geologic interpretations presented in this report have undergone technical review by a geologist familiar with the subject of permafrost. We incorporated the reviewer's suggestions into the final draft when deemed appropriate.
The permafrost interpretations were first hand-drawn, using a magnifying stereoscope, onto acetate air-photo overlays at the scale of the air-photos (approximately inch-to-the-mile). The accuracy of the map unit boundary and point locations varies due to the scale and interpretive nature of the mapping and pen line width of approximately 0.001 meter which is equivalent to approximately 1.5 meters on the ground. The hand drawn map unit boundaries and point locations are expected to be accurate to at least 150 meters. Following interpretation, acetate overlays were then individually scanned and orthorectified, using Orthomapper, v. 3.6, and georeferenced. The air-photos were orthorectified, photomosaiced and georeferenced. Permafrost unit and point locations boundaries were digitized on-screen into ArcGIS from the orthorectified overlays at a scale more detailed than 1:63,360, using a combination of a USGS topographic 1:63.360 map layer and the air-photo photo-mosaic layer to verify the position of the lines and points. Map error is induced by: (1) Scanning and orthorectifying air photos and overlays 2) On-screen digitizing from orthorectified overlays. The accuracy of the human operator digitizing polylines and point localities is related to the accuracy of interpretations from the orthorectified photos and overlays. Total horizontal error in the map unit boundaries is estimated to be less than 175 meters.
The shapefiles in this dataset designate ice content, location, and presence of permafrost and pingos discussed in the report. The data set utilizes field observations and air photo interpretations to locate and characterize the permafrost extent and features. It includes geospatial information about units traceable on air photos at a scale of ~1:65000 and/or in the field.
Polygon topology is present and clean on the original geospatial dataset. All polygon features were topologically validated using the ESRI ArcGIS 10 software prior to export to shape file format. The logical consistency of the point files has been visually checked but not systematically verified.
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PIR 2012-1C
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| Data format: | SHP |
|---|---|
| Network links: |
<http://dx.doi.org/10.14509/23444> |
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