Estimates of Arctic Wetland Extent Using Ground Penetrating Radar

Arctic wetlands are an important terrestrial carbon reservoir, a potential sink for atmospheric CO2 as well as a significant source of CH¬4. We collected approximately 2 km of ground-penetrating-radar profiles across nine wetlands to supplement or borehole-based study of Holocene wetland formation in northern Manitoba. Data were acquired using a SIR-3000 radar unit (Geophysical Survey Systems Incorporated) and analyzed using ReflexW (Sandmeier Scientific Software). All radar profiles clearly show the position of the permafrost horizon between 25 and 50 cm depth as well as the boundary between organic sediment and the underlying glaciofluvial deposits at depths between 1 and 1.5 m. Based on our GPR profiles most wetlands exhibit a simple basin geometry which allows for interpolation between our widely spaced peat cores.