During the retreat and invasion of ice sheets in sedimentary basins meltwater can be forcefully infiltrated in underlying aquifers as is evidenced by the occurence of pockets of exceptionally light (low Oxygen-18 isotopes) water in these aquifers [Person et al., 2007]. Also, as a result of mechanical loading and unloading anomalous fluid presures can evolve in these systems that are potentially still detectable in the subsurface [Bense and Person, 2008]. On a smaller time and length scale I have recently started investigating shallow groundwater flow systems in Arctic areas and their forecasted response in relation to surface warming [Bense et al., GRL submitted].

Transient hydraulic head field (left) and permafrost distribution (right) in a simulation coupling heat and fluid flow to demonstrate the sensitivity of future permafrost degradation to hydrodynamic effects that are sofar ignored in hydrological models of the Arctic [Bense et al., submitted].

Bense, V.F., G. Ferguson and H. Kooi (submitted), The evolution of shallow groundwater flow systems in areas of degrading permafrost, Geophysical Rersearch Letters

Bense, V.F., and M. Person (2008), Transient hydrodynamics within inter-cratonic sedimentary basins during glacial cycles, J. Geophys. Res., 113, F04005, doi:10.1029/2007JF000969.

Person, M., J. McIntosh, V. Bense, and V. H. Remenda (2007), Pleistocene hydrology of North America: The role of ice sheets in reorganizing groundwater flow systems, Rev. Geophys., 45, RG3007, doi:10.1029/2006RG000206.

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