Dr. Margaret Darrow is the Principal Investigator of several FDL research projects. She focuses on the frozen debris lobe morphology, movement rates, geotechnical characteristics, and slope stability considerations.
Dr. Ronald (Ronnie) Daanen rediscovered frozen debris lobes in 2007 after their first recognition by Hamilton in 1978. He was a Dutch cold climate hydrologist, working on hydrology, permafrost, and vadose zone physical, chemical, and biological processes. He employed his expertise to understand the surface and groundwater flow on the FDLs, as well as their overall movement characteristics. Tragically, Ronnie - along with three other people - died in a helicopter crash on the North Slope of Alaska on July 20, 2023. We will always hear his booming voice resonating throughout the forest, as we follow his great moose-like strides for ongoing data collection.
Photo of Margaret Darrow courtesy of G. Matyshak.
Image below: Margaret Darrow and Ronald Daanen measure surface movement of FDL-7 with a differential GPS unit. UAF Photo by Todd Paris.