Anna Liljedahl

Contact

Anna K. Liljedahl
Water and Environmental Research Center
University of Alaska Fairbanks
PO Box 755860, Fairbanks, Ak 99775-5860
(907)474-1951
(907)474-7041 fax
akliljedahl@alaska.edu

Complete CV

Links to Project Pages

• Jarvis Creek Study

Education/Professional Preparation

• Umea University, Sweden Earth Science/Physical Geography, M.S. 2005
• University of Alaska Fairbanks Hydrology, Ph.D., 2011

Appointments

• 2011-Present: Assistant Professor
  Water and Environmental Research Center (WERC) and International Arctic Research Center (IARC), UAF
• 2004-2011: Research Assistant
  Institute of Northern Engineering and IARC, UAF

Selected Publications

Link to Scholar Citation Page

• Liljedahl, A., L. Hinzman, R. Busey, and K. Yoshikawa, Physical short-term changes after a tussock tundra fire, Seward Peninsula, Alaska. J. Geophys. Res., 112, doi:10.1029/2006JF000554. 2007.
• Liljedahl, A.K., L.D. Hinzman, Y. Harazono, D. Zona, C. Tweedie, R.D. Hollister, R. Engstrom, and W.C. Oechel, Nonlinear controls on evapotranspiration in arctic coastal wetlands, Biogeosciences, 8, 3375–3389, doi:10.5194/bg-8-3375-2011
• Liljedahl, A.K, L.D. Hinzman and J. Schulla, Ice-wedge polygon type controls low-gradient watershed-scale hydrology. In Tenth International Conference on Permafrost Vol. 1: International Contributions, Hinkel K. M. (Ed.), TheNorthern Publisher, Salekhard, Russia, pp 231-236. 2012.
• Yi, S., A.D. McGuire, J. Harden, E. Kasischke, K. Manies, L. Hinzman, A. Liljedahl, J. Randerson, H. Liu, V. Romanovsky, S. Marchenko, and Y. Kim, A dynamic soil layer model for assessing the effects of wildfire on high latitude terrestrial ecosystem dynamics: I. Environmental module. J. Geophys., Res., 114, G02015, doi:10.1029/2008JG000841. 2009.
• Liljedahl, A. K. 2011. The hydrologic regime at sub-arctic and arctic watersheds: present and projected. PhD Dissertation, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK.

Selected Presentations

• Liljedahl, A.K., and J. Trawicki (2011), How can hydrologic studies better inform North Slope resource managers? Preliminary recommendations from the Arctic LCC hydrology working group, POSTER, North Slope Science Initiative Workshop, March 29-31, Barrow, Alaska.
• Liljedahl, A.K., L.D. Hinzman, C.E. Tweedie, and J. Schulla (2010), Hyper-resolution hydrological modeling of polygonal ground, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, POSTER H41B-1079, December 13-17, San Francisco, California.
• Liljedahl, A.K., L.D. Hinzman, C.E. Tweedie, and J. Schulla (2010), Present and future water balance of an Arctic Coastal Plain wetland: Wetter or drier future soils? POSTER, American Water Resources Association Alaska Section 2010 Conference, March 31-April 2, Anchorage, Alaska.
• Liljedahl A.K., J. Schulla, and L.D. Hinzman, (2009), The first application and validation of the hydrologic model WaSiM-ETH at a watershed underlain by permafrost, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 14-18, San Francisco, California.
• Liljedahl A.K., L.D. Hinzman, Y. Harazono, D. Zona, W.C. Oechel, and P. Olivas (2009), Evapotranspiration at an arctic coastal desert wetland, Barrow, Alaska, POSTER, AGU Chapman Conference on Examining Ecohydrological Feedbacks of Landscape Change Along Elevation Gradients in Semiarid Regions, Oct. 5-8, Sun Valley, Idaho.
• Liljedahl A., L. Hinzman, Y. Harazono, D. Zona and W.C. Oechel (2008), Arctic summer surface energy balance at two coastal drained lake basins, Barrow, Alaska, POSTER, B13A-0420 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 15-19, San Francisco, California.
• Liljedahl A., L. Hinzman, S. Berezovskaya, S. Marchenko, G.E. Liston and M. Sturm (2008), Distribution of active layer temperatures and snow cover across a polygon, Barrow, Alaska, 59th Arctic Science Conference, Arctic Division American Association for the Advancement of Science, September 15-17, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Current or Recent Research Projects

2012-2015: Next Generation Ecosystem Experiments – Arctic

http://ngee.ornl.gov/

Cathy Wilson, a collaborator from Los Alamos National Lab, stands in an ice wedge polygon trough, Barrow, Alaska, during spring breakup in June 2012.

The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE) project will use observations and models to quantify the response of physical, ecological, and biogeochemical processes to climatic change across molecular to landscape scales. The approach addresses how permafrost degradation in a warming Arctic, and the associated changes in landscape evolution, hydrology, soil biogeochemical processes, and plant community succession, will affect feedbacks to the climate system. My contribution to the NGEE-Arctic includes field measurements of hydrologic storage and surface flow as well as variability in soil moisture, soil temperature, thaw and snow depths. The hydrologic model WaSiM is the tool I use to assess the role of ice wedge polygon type on overall water balance, from the polygon-scale to the watershed-scale in Barrow, Alaska. I am also providing model developers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with assistance in model and algorithm parameterization and in designing a series of synthetic experiments to test key hypotheses.

2011-2014: Addressing the impacts of climate change on U.S. Army Alaska with decision support tools developed through field work and modeling (SERDP-DOD), $1,790,000

Co-I. Collaborators: Thomas Douglas, CRREL (PI), Torre Jorgenson, Alaska Ecoscience, Sergei Marchenko, UAF, Charles Downer and Nawa Pradhan, Coastal Hydraulics Laboratory. The Department of Defense uses 1.5 million acres for military training in the Alaska Interior. Permafrost is anticipated to degrade in many areas of interior Alaska, which will dramatically affect surface hydrologic, soil and vegetation regimes. The overall objective is to develop a Geographic Information Systems decision support system, which will provide U.S. Army Alaska land and facilities managers tangible information to help make decisions regarding where, when, and how to develop future training and installation management plans. The UAF team works closely with CHL to link an existing hydrologic (GSSHA) and thermal (GIPL) model using the CPCRW watershed as a test basin. Climate projections will force the linked GSSHA-GIPL model to generate permafrost and hydrology responses to climate warming.

Related Project Pages: Jarvis Creek Study

2012-2015: Predicting climate impacts and feedbacks in the terrestrial Arctic (DOE)

Scott Painter, LANL (PI), Cathy Wilson (Co-PI), Larry Hinzman (UAF lead) The project address one of the most critical questions in contemporary climate science: Will a warming terrestrial Arctic provide a net positive or negative feedback to the climate system? We propose to develop the first predictions of the future Arctic carbon cycle that include topographic reorganization in a thawing, deforming landscape. To achieve this goal, we will develop an advanced Arctic Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) for modeling the complex interactions among thermal, mechanical, biogeochemical, ecological and hydrologic permafrost processes. My contribution is to a) compile field data and model parameters for algorithm development and model validation and b) assist in designing a series of synthetic experiments to test key hypotheses and establish quantitative links between processes.

2011-2012: Assessing variations in summer river temperature and spring break-up between the foothills and coastal plain through remote sensing, hydrologic modeling, and field measurements, Kuparuk River, Alaska (Alaska NASA EPSCoR), $27,000

PI. Collaborator: Anupma Prakash, UAF. Remote sensing techniques have the potential to offer data coverage in a region with challenging in-situ data collection. We are acquiring, integrating, and analyzing existing hydrologic, GIS, and remote sensing data for a spatio-temporal analysis of river break-up within the Kuparuk River watershed, North Slope. The project serves as a pilot study to assess the application of remote sensing imagery (SAR) in defining river break-up. The proposed study, based upon an intensively studied watershed, will form a framework to test the applicability of remote sensing techniques on arctic river hydrology. The project serves as the major component of Angelica Floyd’s MSc thesis.

2012-2013: Future glacier and runoff changes in the Susitna drainage basin (Alaska Energy Authority, AEA), $275,000 UAF budget

Co-I. Collaborators: Gabriel Wolken (PI), Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Alaska Dept. Natural Resources and Regine Hock, UAF (Co-PI).

Installation of weather station at 5000ft elevation in the Susitna River basin, Alaska Range, June 2012.

Simulations of future changes in quantity and seasonality of river runoff are pertinent to any hydropower developments in order to secure economic operation. In light of the recent revival of the Susitna Hydroelectric Project to serve the region’s energy needs in the 21st century, we are conducting hydrologic modeling of the Upper Susitna drainage basin with particular focus on the effect of glacier wastage on streamflow. The modeling effort relies on two existing models. The glacier response will be simulated using the glacier melt and runoff model by Hock (1999), which is linked to the physically-based and spatially distributed hydrological model Water Balance Simulation Model, WASIM. The models are forced and validated by our and other’s field measurements (glacier mass balance, runoff etc) that ranges from 500 to over 2000 masl.

2012: Monitoring runoff in glaciated watersheds to assess groundwater recharge and flooding risks (WERC and National Institute for Water Resources/USGS), $20,500

PI. Collaborator: Anthony Arendt, UAF. The project will support discharge monitoring efforts at two glaciated watersheds located in continental and maritime ecosystems in Alaska. The discharge measurements will be made at rivers draining glaciers on which mass balance monitoring efforts are implemented. At one site, Jarvis Creek, Delta Junction, which is located in the semi-arid interior Alaska, our discharge measurements will be used to aid assessments on how streamflow affect military training locations and groundwater recharge rates that are important to nearby farming activities. At another site, in maritime Valdez, our discharge measurements will be used to aid flood risk assessments under a range of future climate scenarios. The project supports a one semester Research Assistantship to graduate student Jennifer Davis during and the purchase of a StreamPro discharge monitoring instrument.

Related Project Pages: Jarvis Creek Study

2012-2013: Estimating future flood frequency and magnitude in basins affected by glacier wastage (AK DOT&PF and AK University Transportation Center), $100,000

PI. Collaborators: Regine Hock (Co-I) Anthony Arendt (Co-I) GI, UAF and Gabriel Wolken (Co-I) DGGS. The purpose of the project is to develop estimates of future peak flow frequency and magnitude of glacially fed streams. Several major roads in Alaska cross streams that represent runoff from glacierized basins. Projections of glacier wastage under a warming climate show initial increases in glacier runoff, which can be substantial and exceed all other runoff components in a watershed. Accordingly, flood events may become more frequent and more severe. This project is needed to improve DOT&PF’s understanding of present and future possible hydrologic conditions in order to avoid damage to critical infrastructure and costly disruptions to Alaska’s transportation network. The project support one semester of Research Assistantship to graduate student Jenny Davis and meteorological stations to complement ongoing modeling studies at the Jarvis Creek (SERDP-DOD) and Upper Susitna basin (AEA).

Related Project Pages: Jarvis Creek Study

Student Committees

• Angelica Floyd, MSc Geology (Advisory Committee Co-Chair)
• Jennifer Davis, MSc Geophysics (Advisory Committee Member)

Synergistic Activities

• President, American Water Resources Association – Alaska Section, 2012
• Secretary, United States Permafrost Association, 2011-2012.
• President-Elect, American Water Resources Association – Alaska Section, 2011
• Co-Chair, Arctic Landscape Conservation Cooperative, Hydrology Working Group, 2011.
• Board Member, Board of Directors, United States Permafrost Association, 2009-2010.
• Executive Committee Member, Permafrost Young Researchers Network, 2009-2010.
• Sub-committee Member, Barrow Environmental Observatory, 2009-2011.
• Student representative, National Agency for Higher Education evaluation report of B. S., M.S. and Ph.D. programs in geosciences at Swedish Universities; National Agency for Higher Education Report 2004:13R, Stockholm, Sweden, 2002-2003.

Collaborations and Other Affiliations

Jeff Durham, Colin Bernard, Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation District; Cathy Wilson, Jeff Heikoop, Los Alamos National Lab.; Stan Wullschleger, Gautam Bisht, Jitendra Kumar, Oak Ridge National Lab.; Susan Hubbard, Haruko Wainwright, Berkeley National Lab.; Alessio Gusmeroli IARC-UAF Thesis Advisors the last 5 years: Larry Hinzman (major advisor), Stuart F. Chapin, John Fox, Kenji Yoshikawa, Douglas Kane and Svetlana Stuefer, UAF.