Christopher Arp

  • Research Professor
  • Water and Environmental Research Center (WERC)
  • University of Alaska Fairbanks
  • PO Box 755910
  • Fairbanks, AK 99775-5910
  • Phone: (907) 474-2783
  • 346 Engineering Learning and Innovation Facility (ELIF)
  • cdarp@alaska.edu
Research
Publications
Education
Experience
Professional Organizations

Research Interests

  • Landscape and watershed-scale functions of lakes and wetlands
  • Stream geomorphology, hydrology, and ecology
  • River and lake ice dynamics
  • Surface-water interactions with permafrost
  • Climate change responses and adaptive management

Current Research Projects

Past Research Projects

Select Peer-Reviewed Publications

Arp, C. D., M. S. Whitman, B. M. Jones, D. A. Nigro, V. A. Alexeev, A. Gädeke, S. Fritz, R. Daanen, A. K. Liljedahl, F. J. Adams, B. V. Gaglioti, G. Grosse, K. C. Heim, J. R. Beaver, L. Cai, M. Engram, and H. R. Uher-Koch. 2019. Ice roads through lake-rich arctic watersheds: integrating climate uncertainty and freshwater habitat responses into adaptive management. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 51(1): 9-23

Arp, C. D., Jones, B. M., Engram, M., Alexeev, V. A., Cai, L., Parsekian, A., Hinkel, K. M., Bondurant, A. C., and Creighton, A. 2018. Contrasting Lake Ice Responses to Winter Climate Indicate Future Variability and Trends on the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain. Environmental Research Letters 13(12): 125001

Creighton, A. L., Parsekian, A. D., Angelopoulos, M., Jones, B. M., Bondurant, A., Engram, M., Lenz, J., Overduin, P. P., Grosse, G., Babcock, E., and Arp, C. D., Transient electromagnetic surveys for the determination of talik depth and geometry beneath thermokarst lakes. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 123 doi.org/10.1029/2018JB016121

Jones B M, Farquharson L M, Baughman C A, Buzard R M, Arp C D, Grosse G, Bull D L, Gunther F, Nitze I, Urban F, Kasper J, Frederick J M, Thomas M, Jones C, Mota A, Dallimore S R, Tweedie C, Maio C, Mann D H, Richmond B, Gibbs A, Xiao M, Sachs T, Iwahana G, Kanevskiy M and Romanovsky V E 2018 A decade of remotely sensed observations highlight complex processes linked to coastal permafrost bluff erosion in the Arctic. Environmental Research Letters 13 115001doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae471

Heim, K. C., C. D. Arp, M. S. Whitman, and M. S. Wipfli. 2018. The complimentary role of shallow lakes and streams as foraging habitat to Arctic Grayling. Ecology of Freshwater Fishes. DOI:10.1111/eff.12444

Tape, K. D., B. M. Jones, C. D. Arp, I. Nitze, G. Grosse, C. E. Zimmerman. 2018. Tundra be dammed: Beaver colonization of the Arctic. Global Change Biology. DOI:10.1111/gcb.14332

Cai, L., Alexeev, V. A., Arp, C. D., Jones, B. M., and Romanovsky, V. E. 2018. Modeling the impacts of projected sea ice decline on the low atmosphere and near-surface permafrost on the North Slope of Alaska. International Journal of Climatology. DOI:10.1002/joc.5741

Engram, M., C. D. Arp, B. M. Jones, O. A. Ajadi, and F. J. Meyer. 2018. Analyzing floating and bedfast lake ice regimes across Arctic Alaska using 25 years of space-borne SAR imagery. Remote Sensing of Environment 209:660-676. doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.02.022

Elder, C. D., X. Xu, J. Walker, J. L. Schnell, K. M. Hinkel, A. Townsend-Small, C. D. Arp, J. W. Pohlman, B. V. Gaglioti, and C. I. Czimczik. 2018. Greenhouse gas emissions from diverse Arctic Alaskan lakes are dominated by young carbon. Nature Climate Change 8:166-171.

Stuefer, S. L., C. D. Arp, D. L. Kane, and A. K. Liljedahl. 2017. Recent extreme runoff observations from coastal Arctic watersheds in Alaska. Water Resources Research. 53, 9145–9163. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR020567

Nitze, I., Grosse, G., Jones, B. M., Arp, C. D., Ulrich, M., Fedorov, A. M., and Veremeeva, A. 2017. Landsat-based trend analysis of lake dynamics across northern permafrost regions. Remote Sensing 9 (640):1-28. DOI:10.3390/rs9070640

Baker, M. A., C. D. Arp, K. Goodman, A. Marcarelli, and W. Wurtbaugh. 2016. Effects of lakes on stream functioning. in Stanley, E. and J. Jones, editors. Streams in a Changing Environment. Elsevier.

Alexeev, V. A., C. D. Arp, B. M. Jones, L. Cai. 2016. Arctic sea ice decline contributes to thinning lake ice trend in northern Alaska. Environmental Research Letters. DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074022

Arp, C. D., B. M. Jones, G. Grosse, A. C. Bondurant, V. E. Romanovsky, K. E. Hinkel, and A. Parsekian. 2016. Threshold sensitivity of shallow arctic lakes and sub-lake permafrost to changing winter climate. Geophysical Research Letters. DOI:1002/20016GL06506

Arp, C. D., B. M. Jones, A. K. Liljedahl, K. M. Hinkel, and J. A. Welker. 2015. Depth, ice thickness, and ice-out timing cause divergent hydrologic responses among Arctic lakes. Water Resources Research. DOI:1002/2015WR017362

Jones, B. M., G. Grosse, C. D. Arp, E. Miller, L. Liu, D. J. Hayes, and C. F. Larsen. 2015. Recent Arctic tundra fire initiates widespread thermokarst development. Scientific Reports. DOI:10.1038/srep15865

Jones, B.M. and C. D. Arp. 2015. Observing a catastrophic thermokarst lake drainage in northern Alaska. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. DOI: 10.1002/ppp.1842

Arp, C. D., M. S. Whitman, B. M. Jones, G. Grosse, B. V. Gaglioti, and K. C. Heim. 2015. Distribution and biophysical processes of beaded streams of Arctic permafrost landscapes. Biogeosciences 12: 1-19.

Jones, B. M., A. L. Breen, B. V. Gaglioti, D. H. Mann, A. V. Rocha, G. Grosse, C. D. Arp, M. L. Kunz, and D. A. Walker. 2013. Identification of unrecognized turndra fire event on the North Slope of Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 118: 1-11.

Jones, B. M., A. Gusmeroli, C. D. Arp, T. Strozzi, G. Grosse, B. V. Gaglioti, and M. S. Whitman. 2013. Classification of freshwater ice conditions on the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain using ground penetrating radar and TerraSAR-X satellite data. International Journal of Remote Sensing 34(23): 8253-8265.

Arp, C. D., B. M. Jones, and G. Grosse. 2013. Recent lake ice-out phenology within and among lake distictst of Alaska, U.S.A. Limnology and Oceanography 58(6): 2013-2028.

Grosse, G., B. Jones, and C. Arp. 2013. Thermokarst Lake, Drainage, and Drained Basins. Pages 1-29 in J. Shroder, R. Giardino, and J. Harbor, editors. Treatise on Geomorphology. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.

Arp, C.D., B.M. Jones, Z. Lu, and M.S. Whitman. 2012. Shifting balance of thermokarst lake ice regimes across the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. Geophysical Research Letters 39 (L16503):1-5.

Arp, C. D., M. S. Whitman, B. M. Jones, R. Kemnitz, G. Grosse, and F. E. Urban. 2012. Drainage network structure and hydrologic behavior of three lake-rich watersheds on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 44(4):385-398.

Arp, C. D. and T. Simmons. 2012. Analyzing the impacts of off-road vehicles (ORV) trails on watershed processes in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Environmental Management 49: 751-766.

Jones, B. M., G. Grosse, K. M. Hinkel, C. D. Arp, S. Walker, R. A. Beck, and J. P. Galloway. 2012. Assessment of pingo distribution and morphometry using an IfSAR derived digital surface model, western Arctic Coastal Plain, Nothern Alaska. Geomorphology 138:1-14.

Jones, B. M., G. Grosse, C. D. Arp, M. C. Jones, K. M. W. Walter, and V. Romanovsky. 2011. Modern thermokarst lake dynamics in the continuous permafrost zone, northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA. Journal of  Geophysical Research 116:1-13.

Arp, C.D., B.M. Jones, F.E. Urban, and G. Grosse. 2011, Hydrogeomorphic processes of thermokarst lakes with grounded-ice and floating-ice regimes on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska. Hydrological Processes.Hydrological Processes 25(15):2422-2438.

Arp, C.D., Jones, B.M., Schmutz, J.A., Urban, F.E., Jorgenson, M.T. in press. Two mechanisms of aquatic and terrestrial habitat change along an Alaska Arctic coastline. Polar Biology, doi:10.1007/s00300-1010-0800-5

Arp, C.D., Jones, B.M., Whitman, M., Larsen, A., Urban, F.E. 2010. Lake temperature and ice cover regimes in the Alaskan Subarctic and Arctic: Integrated monitoring, remote sensing, and modeling. Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 46(4): 777-791.

Hall, R.O., Baker, M.A., Arp, C.D., and Koch, B.J. 2009. Hydrologic control of nitrogen removal, storage, and export in a mountain stream. Limnology and Oceanography, 54(6):2128-2142

Jones, B.M., Kolden, C.A., Jandt, R., Abatzoglou, J.T., Urban, F.E., and Arp, C.D. 2009. Fire behavior, weather, and burn severity of the 2007 Anaktuvuk River tundra fire, North Slope, Alaska. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 41 (3):309-316

Jones, B.M., Arp, C.D., Jorgenson, M.T., Hinkel, K.M., Schmutz, J.A., and Flint, P.L. 2009. Increase in the rate and uniformity of coastline erosion in Arctic Alaska. Geophysical Research Letters 36: 1-5.

Briggs, M.A., Gooseff, M.N., Arp, C.D., and Baker, M.A. 2009. A method for estimating surface transient storage parameters for streams with concurrent hyporheic storage. Water Resources Research, 45( W00D27):1-13.

Jones, B.M., Arp, C.D., Hinkel, K.M., Beck, R.A., Schmutz, J.A., and Winston, B. 2009. Arctic lake physical processes and regimes with implications for winter water availability and management in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska. Environmental Management, 43:1071-1084.

Jones, B.M., K.M. Hinkel, C.D. Arp, W.R. Eisner. 2008. Modern erosion rates and loss of coastal features and sites, Beaufort Sea coastline, Alaska. Arctic, 61(4):361-372.

Jones, B.M., R. Rhykus, Z. Lu, C.D. Arp, D. Selkowitz. 2008. Radar imaging of winter seismic activity in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska. Polar Record, 44(2):1-5.

Arp, C.D. and M.A. Baker. 2007. Discontinuities in stream nutrient uptake below lakes in mountain drainage networks. Limnology and Oceanography, 52: 1978-1990.

Arp, C.D., J.C. Schmidt., M.A. Baker, and A. Myers. 2007. Stream geomorphology in a mountain lake district: hydraulic geometry, sediment sources and sinks, and downstream effects. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 32(4): 525-543.

Arp, C.D., M.N. Gooseff, M.A. Baker, and W. Wurtsbaugh. 2006. Surface-water hydrodynamics and regimes of a small mountain stream-lake ecosystem. Journal of Hydrology, 329: 500-513.

Arp, C.D. and D.J. Cooper. 2004. Analysis of sediment retention in western riverine wetlands: the Yampa River Watershed, Colorado. Environmental Management, 33(3):318-330.

Cooper, D.J., R.A. Andrus, and C.D. Arp. 2002. Sphagnum balticum in a Southern Rocky Mountain iron fen. Madrono, 49(3):186-188.

Arp, C.D., D.J. Cooper, and J.D. Stednick. 1999. The effects of heavy metals from acid rock drainage on Carex aquatilis leaf litter decomposition in Rocky Mountain fens. Wetlands, 19(3):665 – 674.

Reports

  • Jones, B. M. and C.D. Arp. 2014. Thermal response of western Alaska lakes to past, present, and future changes in climate. Western Alaska Landscape Conservation Cooperative Final Report.
  • Bourne, S., B. Schnabel, C. Arp, K. Brumbelow, and L. Gowdish. 2012. Lake water budget modeling white paper. Atkins Technical Journal 8(124):35-48
  • Whitman, M., C. Arp, B. Jones, W. Morris, G. Grosse, F. Urban, and R. Kemnitz. 2011. Developing a long-term aquatic monitoring network in a complex watershed of the Alaskan
  • Arctic Coastal Plain. Pages 15-20 in C. N. Medley, G. Patterson, and M. J. Parker, editors. Proceedings of the Fourth Interagency Conference on Research in Watersheds: Observing, Studying, and Managing for Change. USGS, Reston.
  • Whitman, M. and C.D. Arp. 2010. Developing a process baseline for Arctic beaded stream and lake complexes in the context of fish habitat, future petroleum drilling, and climate change in the NPR-A: Progress Report 2009. Draft Internal Fish Program Report BLM/AK/AK930-6500/FY09/1120/02
  • Long, D. and C.D. Arp. 2010. Limnology and Water Quality of Wonder Lake and other Large Lakes in and around Denali National Park and Preserve, 2006-2008. U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report
  • Arp, C., and J. Curran. 2009. Beavers across Denali’s hydrologic landscape. National Park Service, Denali National Park and Preserve Fact Sheet.
  • Arp, C.D. and B.M. Jones. 2009. Geography of Alaska lake districts: identification, description, and analysis of lake-rich regions of a diverse and dynamic state. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5215, 40 p.
  • Arp, C. and B. Jones. 2008. Large Lakes and Landscape Limnology. National Park Service, Denali National Park and Preserve Fact Sheet.
  • Cooper, D.J. and C.D. Arp. 2003. North Fork of the Gunnison River riparian vegetation analysis. North Fork River Improvement Association.
  • Cooper, D.J. and C.D. Arp. 2002. Prospect Basin fens: baseline monitoring for the year 2001. Prospect Bowl Fen Protection Oversight Committee.
  • Arp, C.D, and E. Benítez G. 2001. A review concerning the potential use of native Amazonian fishes for aquaculture in Ecuador, Red de Extensión Piscícola Amazónica Publication, Programa Carrera en Acuacultura, Universidad Nacional de Loja, Loja, Ecuador.
  • Arp, C.D. and D.J. Cooper. 1999. Analysis of sediment fluxes in riparian and slope wetlands: Yampa River Watershed, Colorado. Department of Environmental Quality, State of Utah.
  • Cooper, D.J., C.D. Arp, and D.C. Anderson. 1999. Importance of the 1997 Flaming Gorge Dam bypass flows for native ecosystem maintenance along the Green River in Browns Park and Lodore Canyon, Colorado. Bureau of Reclamation.
  • Cooper, D.J. and C.D. Arp. 1999. Riparian vegetation of the San Miguel River: surface and groundwater interactions, plant water sources, plant water status, and susceptibility to impacts from changing river base flows. Bureau of Land Management.

  • 2006 Ph.D. Ecology (Utah State University)
  • 1998 M.S. Watershed Science (Colorado State University)
  • 1994 B.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Biology / Environmental Studies (Iowa State University)

Professional Experience

  • 2010 – present Assistant Research Professor, Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
  • 2006 – 2010 Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchroage, AK
  • 2002 – 2006 Research Assistant, Utah State University, Logan, UT
  • 2001 – 2002 Ecological Consultant, D.J. Cooper, Boulder, CO
  • 1999 – 2001 Development Worker, U.S. Peace Corps, Loja, Ecuador, SA
  • 1996 – 1999 Research Assistant, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
  • 1994 – 1996 Fisheries Biologist, Saltwater, Inc., Anchorage, AK

Teaching Experience

  • 2005 Teaching Assistant, Small Watershed Hydrology (AWER 4490/5490), USU
  • 2000 Technical Trainer, U.S. Peace Corps, Quito, Ecuador
  • 1999 Professor, Hydrology and Water Quality in Aquaculture, Universidad Nacional de Loja
  • 1998 Teaching Assistant, Land-use and Water Quality (ER 418), CSU
  • American Water Resources Association (National and Alaska Section)
  • American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
  • American Geophysical Union
  • Permafrost Young Researchers Network