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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/11688| Title: | Preliminary ecological evaluation of the effects of air cushion vehicle tests on the arctic tundra of northern Alaska |
| Authors: | United States. Advanced Research Projects Agency. Rickard, Warren E. |
| Keywords: | Air cushion vehicles Ground effect machine Arctic tundra Northern Alaska Environmental tests Solar radiation EPOLAR |
| Publisher: | Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | Special report (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.)) ; 182. |
| Description: | Special Report Abstract: Of prime concern in the Arctic is the need for a nondestructive and efficient means of transportation over both frozen and unfrozen arctic terrain. As part of the effort to develop such a means, the Advanced Research Projects Agency established a program to determine the potential for using an air cushion vehicle (ACV). Studies on the effects of ACV tests were conducted in two areas at Barrow, Alaska. One area was a drained lake bottom with a fairly homogeneous vegetation cover and soil type. The second area, much drier than the first, consisted of low-centered polygons composed of a wet tundra soil and a varying vegetation complex. The initial effects of the ACV tests in both areas were quite similar. The amount of litter decreased from 40-44% to 0-2% as the number of vehicle passes increased. The amount of standing dead vegetation decreased much less. Quantities of living vegetation remained fairly constant regardless of the number of vehicle passes, with clumps of mosses being torn loose in the low-centered polygon areas. The albedo also changed; this may be come important over a long period with respect to the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the lighter and darker terrain surfaces. |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/11688 |
| Appears in Collections: | Special Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR-182.pdf | 2.21 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |