Abstract Ice‐wedge polygons are widespread periglacial features and influence landscape hydrology and carbon storage. The influence of climate and topography on polygon development is not entirely clear, however, giving high uncertainties to projections of permafrost development. We studied the mid‐ to late Holocene development of modern ice‐wedge polygon sites to explore drivers of change and reasons for long‐term stability. We analyzed organic carbon, total nitrogen, stable carbon isotopes, grain size composition and plant macrofossils in six cores from three polygons. We found that all sites developed from aquatic to wetland conditions. In the mid‐Holocene, shallow lakes and partly submerged ice‐wedge polygons existed at the studied sites. An erosional hiatus of ca 5000 years followed, and ice‐wedge polygons re‐initiated within the last millennium. Ice‐wedge melt and surface drying during the last century were linked to climatic warming. The influence of climate on ice‐wedge polygon development was outweighed by geomorphology during most of the late Holocene. Recent warming, however, caused ice‐wedge degradation at all sites. Our study showed that where waterlogged ground was maintained, low‐centered polygons persisted for millennia. Ice‐wedge melt and increased drainage through geomorphic disturbance, however, triggered conversion into high‐centered polygons and may lead to self‐enhancing degradation under continued warming.

中文翻译：

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气候、地貌和水文扰动是加拿大西部北极地区全新世中晚期冰楔多边形发展的驱动因素

摘要 冰楔多边形是广泛存在的冰缘特征，影响景观水文和碳储存。然而，气候和地形对多边形发展的影响尚不完全清楚，这给永久冻土发展的预测带来了很大的不确定性。我们研究了现代冰楔多边形遗址的全新世中晚期的发展，以探索变化的驱动因素和长期稳定的原因。我们分析了三个多边形的六个核心中的有机碳、总氮、稳定碳同位素、粒度组成和植物宏观化石。我们发现所有地点都从水生条件发展到湿地条件。在全新世中期，研究地点存在浅湖和部分淹没的冰楔多边形。随后大约 5000 年的侵蚀中断，冰楔多边形在上个千年内重新出现。上个世纪的冰楔融化和表面干燥与气候变暖有关。在全新世晚期的大部分时间里，气候对冰楔多边形发育的影响被地貌所抵消。然而，最近的变暖导致所有地点的冰楔退化。我们的研究表明，在被淹的地面上，低中心多边形会持续数千年。然而，冰楔融化和地貌扰动导致的排水增加引发了向高中心多边形的转变，并可能导致在持续变暖的情况下自我增强的退化。