Samuel I. Outcalt, Professor of Physical Geography

Internet Address: inuvik@umich.edu

A Hot Permafrost Research Topic

• In this example image the snowmelt thermal disturbances traveled from the surface downward at velocities far exceeding values typical of a conductive system. It is assumed that the introduction of snowmelt water, a pure solvent, at the snow/soil interface produces rapid downward vapor transport and condensation at depth.
• The abrupt snowmelt steam burn was observed during the 1994 snowmelt at three other sites in Alaska and Canada. These examples were reported by S.I. Outcalt, K.M. Hinkel (University of Cincinnati), A. Taylor and V. Allen (Geological Survey of Canada) in two papers presented at the 25th Arctic Workshop, Centre d'é:tudes nordiques, Univesité: Laval, Qué:bec on 18 March 1995.
• These observations and the zero curtain effect are expressions of the well documented internal distillation processes complicated by the ice/water phase transform operating from slightly below 0C to at least -10C, as a product of surface forces and solute expulsion from the ice lattice.

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  General Research Interests:

  • Quantitative Methods and Modeling in the Earth Sciences.
  • Climate Change and the Earth/Atmosphere Interface.

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  Recent Publication Sample:

  • Outcalt, S.I., Nelson, F.E and Hinkel,K,M., 1990. The Zero-Curtain Effect: heat and mass transfer across an isothermal region in freezing soil., Water Resources Research 26(7): 1509-1516
  • Outcalt,S.I., Hinkel,K.M. and Nelson,F.E., 1992. Spectral Signature of Coupled Flow in the Refreezing Active Layer, Northern Alaska., Physical Geography 13(3): 273-284
  • Outcalt,S.I.and Hinkel,K.M., 1992. The Fractal Geometry of Thermal and Chemical Time Series from the Active Layer, Alaska., Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 3: 315-322
  • Outcalt,S.I., Hinkel,K.M. and Nelson,F.E., 1994. Fractal physiography ?., Geomorphology 11: 91-106
  • Hinkel,K.M. and Outcalt,S.I., 1994. Identification of Heat-Transfer Processes during Soil Cooling, Freezing and Thaw in Central Alaska., Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 5: 217-235

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  finally . . .

  "Our best models are abstractions of nature. Nature is not an abstraction of our best models." San Francisco, 8 December 1994.

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