Articles | Volume 17, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4155-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4155-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Brief communication: Identification of tundra topsoil frozen/thawed state from SMAP and GCOM-W1 radiometer measurements using the spectral gradient method
Konstantin Muzalevskiy
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Laboratory of Radiophysics of Remote Sensing, Kirensky Institute of
Physics, Federal Research Center, Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian
Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Zdenek Ruzicka
Laboratory of Radiophysics of Remote Sensing, Kirensky Institute of
Physics, Federal Research Center, Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian
Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Alexandre Roy
Département des Sciences de l'Environnement, Université du
Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), Trois-Rivières, Centre
d'étude Nordique, Québec, Canada
Michael Loranty
Department of Geography, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
Alexander Vasiliev
Laboratory for Cartographic Modeling and Forecasting the State of
Permafrost Geosystems, Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre,
Siberian
Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tyumen, Russia
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Igor Savin, Valery Mironov, Konstantin Muzalevskiy, Sergey Fomin, Andrey Karavayskiy, Zdenek Ruzicka, and Yuriy Lukin
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 3481–3487, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3481-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3481-2020, 2020
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This article presents a dielectric database of organic Arctic soils. This database was created based on dielectric measurements of seven samples of organic soils collected in various parts of the Arctic tundra. The created database can serve not only as a source of experimental data for the development of new soil dielectric models for the Arctic tundra but also as a source of training data for artificial intelligence satellite algorithms of soil moisture retrievals based on neural networks.
Anna Talucci, Michael M. Loranty, Jean E. Holloway, Brendan M. Rogers, Heather D. Alexander, Natalie Baillargeon, Jennifer L. Baltzer, Logan T. Berner, Amy Breen, Leya Brodt, Brian Buma, Jacqueline Dean, Clement J. F. Delcourt, Lucas R. Diaz, Catherine M. Dieleman, Thomas A. Douglas, Gerald V. Frost, Benjamin V. Gaglioti, Rebecca E. Hewitt, Teresa Hollingsworth, M. Torre Jorgenson, Mark J. Lara, Rachel A. Loehman, Michelle C. Mack, Kristen L. Manies, Christina Minions, Susan M. Natali, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, David Olefeldt, Alison K. Paulson, Adrian V. Rocha, Lisa B. Saperstein, Tatiana A. Shestakova, Seeta Sistla, Oleg Sizov, Andrey Soromotin, Merritt R. Turetsky, Sander Veraverbeke, and Michelle A. Walvoord
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-526, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-526, 2024
Preprint under review for ESSD
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Wildfires have the potential to accelerate permafrost thaw and the associated feedbacks to climate change. We assembled a data set of permafrost thaw depth measurements from burned and unburned sites contributed by researchers from across the northern high latitude region. We estimated maximum thaw depth for each measurement, which addresses a key challenge: the ability to assess impacts of wildfire on maximum thaw depth when measurement timing varies.
Lucas R. Diaz, Clement J. F. Delcourt, Moritz Langer, Michael M. Loranty, Brendan M. Rogers, Rebecca C. Scholten, Tatiana A. Shestakova, Anna C. Talucci, Jorien E. Vonk, Sonam Wangchuk, and Sander Veraverbeke
Earth Syst. Dynam., 15, 1459–1482, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-1459-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-1459-2024, 2024
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Our study in eastern Siberia investigated how fires affect permafrost thaw depth in larch forests. We found that fire induces deeper thaw, yet this process was mediated by topography and vegetation. By combining field and satellite data, we estimated summer thaw depth across an entire fire scar. This research provides insights into post-fire permafrost dynamics and the use of satellite data for mapping fire-induced permafrost thaw.
Melody Sandells, Nick Rutter, Kirsty Wivell, Richard Essery, Stuart Fox, Chawn Harlow, Ghislain Picard, Alexandre Roy, Alain Royer, and Peter Toose
The Cryosphere, 18, 3971–3990, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3971-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3971-2024, 2024
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Satellite microwave observations are used for weather forecasting. In Arctic regions this is complicated by natural emission from snow. By simulating airborne observations from in situ measurements of snow, this study shows how snow properties affect the signal within the atmosphere. Fresh snowfall between flights changed airborne measurements. Good knowledge of snow layering and structure can be used to account for the effects of snow and could unlock these data to improve forecasts.
Alex Mavrovic, Oliver Sonnentag, Juha Lemmetyinen, Carolina Voigt, Nick Rutter, Paul Mann, Jean-Daniel Sylvain, and Alexandre Roy
Biogeosciences, 20, 5087–5108, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5087-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5087-2023, 2023
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We present an analysis of soil CO2 emissions in boreal and tundra regions during the non-growing season. We show that when the soil is completely frozen, soil temperature is the main control on CO2 emissions. When the soil is around the freezing point, with a mix of liquid water and ice, the liquid water content is the main control on CO2 emissions. This study highlights that the vegetation–snow–soil interactions must be considered to understand soil CO2 emissions during the non-growing season.
Alex Mavrovic, Oliver Sonnentag, Juha Lemmetyinen, Jennifer L. Baltzer, Christophe Kinnard, and Alexandre Roy
Biogeosciences, 20, 2941–2970, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2941-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2941-2023, 2023
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This review supports the integration of microwave spaceborne information into carbon cycle science for Arctic–boreal regions. The microwave data record spans multiple decades with frequent global observations of soil moisture and temperature, surface freeze–thaw cycles, vegetation water storage, snowpack properties, and land cover. This record holds substantial unexploited potential to better understand carbon cycle processes.
Bo Qu, Alexandre Roy, Joe R. Melton, Jennifer L. Baltzer, Youngryel Ryu, Matteo Detto, and Oliver Sonnentag
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1167, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1167, 2023
Preprint archived
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Accurately simulating photosynthesis and evapotranspiration challenges terrestrial biosphere models across North America’s boreal biome, in part due to uncertain representation of the maximum rate of photosynthetic carboxylation (Vcmax). This study used forest stand scale observations in an optimization framework to improve Vcmax values for representative vegetation types. Several stand characteristics well explained spatial Vcmax variability and were useful to improve boreal forest modelling.
Alain Royer, Alexandre Roy, Sylvain Jutras, and Alexandre Langlois
The Cryosphere, 15, 5079–5098, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5079-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5079-2021, 2021
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Dense spatially distributed networks of autonomous instruments for continuously measuring the amount of snow on the ground are needed for operational water resource and flood management and the monitoring of northern climate change. Four new-generation non-invasive sensors are compared. A review of their advantages, drawbacks and accuracy is discussed. This performance analysis is intended to help researchers and decision-makers choose the one system that is best suited to their needs.
Rafael Poyatos, Víctor Granda, Víctor Flo, Mark A. Adams, Balázs Adorján, David Aguadé, Marcos P. M. Aidar, Scott Allen, M. Susana Alvarado-Barrientos, Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Luiza Maria Aparecido, M. Altaf Arain, Ismael Aranda, Heidi Asbjornsen, Robert Baxter, Eric Beamesderfer, Z. Carter Berry, Daniel Berveiller, Bethany Blakely, Johnny Boggs, Gil Bohrer, Paul V. Bolstad, Damien Bonal, Rosvel Bracho, Patricia Brito, Jason Brodeur, Fernando Casanoves, Jérôme Chave, Hui Chen, Cesar Cisneros, Kenneth Clark, Edoardo Cremonese, Hongzhong Dang, Jorge S. David, Teresa S. David, Nicolas Delpierre, Ankur R. Desai, Frederic C. Do, Michal Dohnal, Jean-Christophe Domec, Sebinasi Dzikiti, Colin Edgar, Rebekka Eichstaedt, Tarek S. El-Madany, Jan Elbers, Cleiton B. Eller, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Brent Ewers, Patrick Fonti, Alicia Forner, David I. Forrester, Helber C. Freitas, Marta Galvagno, Omar Garcia-Tejera, Chandra Prasad Ghimire, Teresa E. Gimeno, John Grace, André Granier, Anne Griebel, Yan Guangyu, Mark B. Gush, Paul J. Hanson, Niles J. Hasselquist, Ingo Heinrich, Virginia Hernandez-Santana, Valentine Herrmann, Teemu Hölttä, Friso Holwerda, James Irvine, Supat Isarangkool Na Ayutthaya, Paul G. Jarvis, Hubert Jochheim, Carlos A. Joly, Julia Kaplick, Hyun Seok Kim, Leif Klemedtsson, Heather Kropp, Fredrik Lagergren, Patrick Lane, Petra Lang, Andrei Lapenas, Víctor Lechuga, Minsu Lee, Christoph Leuschner, Jean-Marc Limousin, Juan Carlos Linares, Maj-Lena Linderson, Anders Lindroth, Pilar Llorens, Álvaro López-Bernal, Michael M. Loranty, Dietmar Lüttschwager, Cate Macinnis-Ng, Isabelle Maréchaux, Timothy A. Martin, Ashley Matheny, Nate McDowell, Sean McMahon, Patrick Meir, Ilona Mészáros, Mirco Migliavacca, Patrick Mitchell, Meelis Mölder, Leonardo Montagnani, Georgianne W. Moore, Ryogo Nakada, Furong Niu, Rachael H. Nolan, Richard Norby, Kimberly Novick, Walter Oberhuber, Nikolaus Obojes, A. Christopher Oishi, Rafael S. Oliveira, Ram Oren, Jean-Marc Ourcival, Teemu Paljakka, Oscar Perez-Priego, Pablo L. Peri, Richard L. Peters, Sebastian Pfautsch, William T. Pockman, Yakir Preisler, Katherine Rascher, George Robinson, Humberto Rocha, Alain Rocheteau, Alexander Röll, Bruno H. P. Rosado, Lucy Rowland, Alexey V. Rubtsov, Santiago Sabaté, Yann Salmon, Roberto L. Salomón, Elisenda Sánchez-Costa, Karina V. R. Schäfer, Bernhard Schuldt, Alexandr Shashkin, Clément Stahl, Marko Stojanović, Juan Carlos Suárez, Ge Sun, Justyna Szatniewska, Fyodor Tatarinov, Miroslav Tesař, Frank M. Thomas, Pantana Tor-ngern, Josef Urban, Fernando Valladares, Christiaan van der Tol, Ilja van Meerveld, Andrej Varlagin, Holm Voigt, Jeffrey Warren, Christiane Werner, Willy Werner, Gerhard Wieser, Lisa Wingate, Stan Wullschleger, Koong Yi, Roman Zweifel, Kathy Steppe, Maurizio Mencuccini, and Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2607–2649, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2607-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2607-2021, 2021
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Transpiration is a key component of global water balance, but it is poorly constrained from available observations. We present SAPFLUXNET, the first global database of tree-level transpiration from sap flow measurements, containing 202 datasets and covering a wide range of ecological conditions. SAPFLUXNET and its accompanying R software package
sapfluxnetrwill facilitate new data syntheses on the ecological factors driving water use and drought responses of trees and forests.
Alex Mavrovic, Renato Pardo Lara, Aaron Berg, François Demontoux, Alain Royer, and Alexandre Roy
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1117–1131, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1117-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1117-2021, 2021
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This paper presents a new probe that measures soil microwave permittivity in the frequency range of satellite L-band sensors. The probe capacities will allow for validation and calibration of the models used to estimate landscape physical properties from raw microwave satellite datasets. Our results show important discrepancies between model estimates and instrument measurements that will need to be addressed.
Nataniel M. Holtzman, Leander D. L. Anderegg, Simon Kraatz, Alex Mavrovic, Oliver Sonnentag, Christoforos Pappas, Michael H. Cosh, Alexandre Langlois, Tarendra Lakhankar, Derek Tesser, Nicholas Steiner, Andreas Colliander, Alexandre Roy, and Alexandra G. Konings
Biogeosciences, 18, 739–753, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-739-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-739-2021, 2021
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Microwave radiation coming from Earth's land surface is affected by both soil moisture and the water in plants that cover the soil. We measured such radiation with a sensor elevated above a forest canopy while repeatedly measuring the amount of water stored in trees at the same location. Changes in the microwave signal over time were closely related to tree water storage changes. Satellites with similar sensors could thus be used to monitor how trees in an entire region respond to drought.
Igor Savin, Valery Mironov, Konstantin Muzalevskiy, Sergey Fomin, Andrey Karavayskiy, Zdenek Ruzicka, and Yuriy Lukin
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 3481–3487, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3481-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-3481-2020, 2020
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This article presents a dielectric database of organic Arctic soils. This database was created based on dielectric measurements of seven samples of organic soils collected in various parts of the Arctic tundra. The created database can serve not only as a source of experimental data for the development of new soil dielectric models for the Arctic tundra but also as a source of training data for artificial intelligence satellite algorithms of soil moisture retrievals based on neural networks.
Nick Rutter, Melody J. Sandells, Chris Derksen, Joshua King, Peter Toose, Leanne Wake, Tom Watts, Richard Essery, Alexandre Roy, Alain Royer, Philip Marsh, Chris Larsen, and Matthew Sturm
The Cryosphere, 13, 3045–3059, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3045-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3045-2019, 2019
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Impact of natural variability in Arctic tundra snow microstructural characteristics on the capacity to estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) from Ku-band radar was assessed. Median values of metrics quantifying snow microstructure adequately characterise differences between snowpack layers. Optimal estimates of SWE required microstructural values slightly less than the measured median but tolerated natural variability for accurate estimation of SWE in shallow snowpacks.
Michael Prince, Alexandre Roy, Ludovic Brucker, Alain Royer, Youngwook Kim, and Tianjie Zhao
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 2055–2067, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-2055-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-2055-2018, 2018
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This paper presents the weekly polar-gridded Aquarius passive L-band surface freeze–thaw product (FT-AP) distributed on the EASE-Grid 2.0 with a resolution of 36 km. To evaluate the product, we compared it with the resampled 37 GHz FT Earth Science Data Record during the overlapping period between 2011 and 2014. The FT-AP ensures, with the SMAP mission that is still in operation, an L-band passive FT monitoring continuum with NASA’s space-borne radiometers, for a period beginning in August 2011.
Fanny Larue, Alain Royer, Danielle De Sève, Alexandre Roy, and Emmanuel Cosme
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 5711–5734, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5711-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-5711-2018, 2018
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A data assimilation scheme was developed to improve snow water equivalent (SWE) simulations by updating meteorological forcings and snowpack states using passive microwave satellite observations. A chain of models was first calibrated to simulate satellite observations over northeastern Canada. The assimilation was then validated over 12 stations where daily SWE measurements were acquired during 4 winters (2012–2016). The overall SWE bias is reduced by 68 % compared to original SWE simulations.
Michael M. Loranty, Benjamin W. Abbott, Daan Blok, Thomas A. Douglas, Howard E. Epstein, Bruce C. Forbes, Benjamin M. Jones, Alexander L. Kholodov, Heather Kropp, Avni Malhotra, Steven D. Mamet, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Susan M. Natali, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Gareth K. Phoenix, Adrian V. Rocha, Oliver Sonnentag, Ken D. Tape, and Donald A. Walker
Biogeosciences, 15, 5287–5313, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5287-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5287-2018, 2018
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Vegetation and soils strongly influence ground temperature in permafrost ecosystems across the Arctic and sub-Arctic. These effects will cause differences rates of permafrost thaw related to the distribution of tundra and boreal forests. As the distribution of forests and tundra change, the effects of climate change on permafrost will also change. We review the ecosystem processes that will influence permafrost thaw and outline how they will feed back to climate warming.
Alex Mavrovic, Alexandre Roy, Alain Royer, Bilal Filali, François Boone, Christoforos Pappas, and Oliver Sonnentag
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 7, 195–208, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-7-195-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-7-195-2018, 2018
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To improve microwave satellite and airborne observation products in forest environments, a precise and reliable estimation of the permittivity of trees is required. We developed a probe suitable to measure the permittivity of tree trunks at L band in the field. The system is easily transportable in the field, low energy consuming, operational at low temperatures and weatherproof. The permittivity of seven tree species in both frozen and thawed states was measured, showing important contrast.
Elizabeth E. Webb, Kathryn Heard, Susan M. Natali, Andrew G. Bunn, Heather D. Alexander, Logan T. Berner, Alexander Kholodov, Michael M. Loranty, John D. Schade, Valentin Spektor, and Nikita Zimov
Biogeosciences, 14, 4279–4294, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4279-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4279-2017, 2017
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Permafrost soils store massive amounts of C, yet estimates of soil C storage in this region are highly uncertain, primarily due to undersampling at all spatial scales; circumpolar soil C estimates lack sufficient continental spatial diversity, regional intensity, and replication at the field-site level. We aim to reduce the uncertainty of regional C estimates by providing a comprehensive assessment of vegetation, active-layer, and permafrost C stocks in a watershed in northeast Siberia, Russia.
Peter Toose, Alexandre Roy, Frederick Solheim, Chris Derksen, Tom Watts, Alain Royer, and Anne Walker
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst., 6, 39–51, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-6-39-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-6-39-2017, 2017
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Radio-frequency interference (RFI) can significantly contaminate the measured radiometric signal of current spaceborne L-band passive microwave radiometers used for monitoring essential climate variables. A 385-channel hyperspectral L-band radiometer system was designed with the means to quantify the strength and type of RFI. The compact design makes it ideal for mounting on both surface and airborne platforms to be used for calibrating and validating measurement from spaceborne sensors.
Alexandre Roy, Alain Royer, Olivier St-Jean-Rondeau, Benoit Montpetit, Ghislain Picard, Alex Mavrovic, Nicolas Marchand, and Alexandre Langlois
The Cryosphere, 10, 623–638, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-623-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-10-623-2016, 2016
A. Roy, A. Royer, B. Montpetit, P. A. Bartlett, and A. Langlois
The Cryosphere, 7, 961–975, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-961-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-7-961-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Discipline: Frozen ground | Subject: Remote Sensing
Multitemporal UAV lidar detects seasonal heave and subsidence on palsas
Land cover succession for recently drained lakes in permafrost on the Yamal Peninsula, Western Siberia
Toward long-term monitoring of regional permafrost thaw with satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar
Benchmarking passive microwave satellite derived freeze/thaw datasets
Allometric scaling of retrogressive thaw slumps
Bedfast and floating-ice dynamics of thermokarst lakes using a temporal deep-learning mapping approach: case study of the Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada
Contribution of ground ice melting to the expansion of Selin Co (lake) on the Tibetan Plateau
Incorporating InSAR kinematics into rock glacier inventories: insights from 11 regions worldwide
Assessing volumetric change distributions and scaling relations of retrogressive thaw slumps across the Arctic
Top-of-permafrost ground ice indicated by remotely sensed late-season subsidence
Inventory and changes of rock glacier creep speeds in Ile Alatau and Kungöy Ala-Too, northern Tien Shan, since the 1950s
The catastrophic thermokarst lake drainage events of 2018 in northwestern Alaska: fast-forward into the future
Global Positioning System interferometric reflectometry (GPS-IR) measurements of ground surface elevation changes in permafrost areas in northern Canada
InSAR time series analysis of seasonal surface displacement dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau
Rapid retreat of permafrost coastline observed with aerial drone photogrammetry
Brief communication: Rapid machine-learning-based extraction and measurement of ice wedge polygons in high-resolution digital elevation models
Sensitivity of active-layer freezing process to snow cover in Arctic Alaska
An estimate of ice wedge volume for a High Arctic polar desert environment, Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island
Cas Renette, Mats Olvmo, Sofia Thorsson, Björn Holmer, and Heather Reese
The Cryosphere, 18, 5465–5480, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5465-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5465-2024, 2024
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We used a drone to monitor seasonal changes in the height of subarctic permafrost mounds (palsas). With five drone flights in 1 year, we found a seasonal fluctuation of ca. 15 cm as a result of freeze–thaw cycles. On one mound, a large area sank down between each flight as a result of permafrost thaw. The approach of using repeated high-resolution scans from such a drone is unique for such environments and highlights its effectiveness in capturing the subtle dynamics of permafrost landscapes.
Clemens von Baeckmann, Annett Bartsch, Helena Bergstedt, Aleksandra Efimova, Barbara Widhalm, Dorothee Ehrich, Timo Kumpula, Alexander Sokolov, and Svetlana Abdulmanova
The Cryosphere, 18, 4703–4722, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4703-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4703-2024, 2024
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Lakes are common features in Arctic permafrost areas. Land cover change following their drainage needs to be monitored since it has implications for ecology and the carbon cycle. Satellite data are key in this context. We compared a common vegetation index approach with a novel land-cover-monitoring scheme. Land cover information provides specific information on wetland features. We also showed that the bioclimatic gradients play a significant role after drainage within the first 10 years.
Taha Sadeghi Chorsi, Franz J. Meyer, and Timothy H. Dixon
The Cryosphere, 18, 3723–3740, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3723-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-3723-2024, 2024
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The active layer thaws and freezes seasonally. The annual freeze–thaw cycle of the active layer causes significant surface height changes due to the volume difference between ice and liquid water. We estimate the subsidence rate and active-layer thickness (ALT) for part of northern Alaska for summer 2017 to 2022 using interferometric synthetic aperture radar and lidar. ALT estimates range from ~20 cm to larger than 150 cm in area. Subsidence rate varies between close points (2–18 mm per month).
Annett Bartsch, Xaver Muri, Markus Hetzenecker, Kimmo Rautiainen, Helena Bergstedt, Jan Wuite, Thomas Nagler, and Dmitry Nicolsky
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2518, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2518, 2024
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We developed a robust freeze/thaw detection approach, applying a constant threshold on Copernicus Sentinel-1 data, that is suitable for tundra regions. All global, coarser resolution products, tested with the resulting benchmarking dataset, are of value for freeze/thaw retrieval, although differences were found depending on seasons, in particular during spring and autumn transition.
Jurjen van der Sluijs, Steven V. Kokelj, and Jon F. Tunnicliffe
The Cryosphere, 17, 4511–4533, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4511-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4511-2023, 2023
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There is an urgent need to obtain size and erosion estimates of climate-driven landslides, such as retrogressive thaw slumps. We evaluated surface interpolation techniques to estimate slump erosional volumes and developed a new inventory method by which the size and activity of these landslides are tracked through time. Models between slump area and volume reveal non-linear intensification, whereby model coefficients improve our understanding of how permafrost landscapes may evolve over time.
Maria Shaposhnikova, Claude Duguay, and Pascale Roy-Léveillée
The Cryosphere, 17, 1697–1721, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1697-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1697-2023, 2023
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We explore lake ice in the Old Crow Flats, Yukon, Canada, using a novel approach that employs radar imagery and deep learning. Results indicate an 11 % increase in the fraction of lake ice that grounds between 1992/1993 and 2020/2021. We believe this is caused by widespread lake drainage and fluctuations in water level and snow depth. This transition is likely to have implications for permafrost beneath the lakes, with a potential impact on methane ebullition and the regional carbon budget.
Lingxiao Wang, Lin Zhao, Huayun Zhou, Shibo Liu, Erji Du, Defu Zou, Guangyue Liu, Yao Xiao, Guojie Hu, Chong Wang, Zhe Sun, Zhibin Li, Yongping Qiao, Tonghua Wu, Chengye Li, and Xubing Li
The Cryosphere, 16, 2745–2767, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2745-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2745-2022, 2022
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Selin Co has exhibited the greatest increase in water storage among all the lakes on the Tibetan Plateau in the past decades. This study presents the first attempt to quantify the water contribution of ground ice melting to the expansion of Selin Co by evaluating the ground surface deformation since terrain surface settlement provides a
windowto detect the subsurface ground ice melting. Results reveal that ground ice meltwater contributed ~ 12 % of the lake volume increase during 2017–2020.
Aldo Bertone, Chloé Barboux, Xavier Bodin, Tobias Bolch, Francesco Brardinoni, Rafael Caduff, Hanne H. Christiansen, Margaret M. Darrow, Reynald Delaloye, Bernd Etzelmüller, Ole Humlum, Christophe Lambiel, Karianne S. Lilleøren, Volkmar Mair, Gabriel Pellegrinon, Line Rouyet, Lucas Ruiz, and Tazio Strozzi
The Cryosphere, 16, 2769–2792, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2769-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2769-2022, 2022
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We present the guidelines developed by the IPA Action Group and within the ESA Permafrost CCI project to include InSAR-based kinematic information in rock glacier inventories. Nine operators applied these guidelines to 11 regions worldwide; more than 3600 rock glaciers are classified according to their kinematics. We test and demonstrate the feasibility of applying common rules to produce homogeneous kinematic inventories at global scale, useful for hydrological and climate change purposes.
Philipp Bernhard, Simon Zwieback, Nora Bergner, and Irena Hajnsek
The Cryosphere, 16, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1-2022, 2022
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We present an investigation of retrogressive thaw slumps in 10 study sites across the Arctic. These slumps have major impacts on hydrology and ecosystems and can also reinforce climate change by the mobilization of carbon. Using time series of digital elevation models, we found that thaw slump change rates follow a specific type of distribution that is known from landslides in more temperate landscapes and that the 2D area change is strongly related to the 3D volumetric change.
Simon Zwieback and Franz J. Meyer
The Cryosphere, 15, 2041–2055, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2041-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2041-2021, 2021
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Thawing of ice-rich permafrost leads to subsidence and slumping, which can compromise Arctic infrastructure. However, we lack fine-scale maps of permafrost ground ice, chiefly because it is usually invisible at the surface. We show that subsidence at the end of summer serves as a
fingerprintwith which near-surface permafrost ground ice can be identified. As this can be done with satellite data, this method may help improve ground ice maps and thus sustainably steward the Arctic.
Andreas Kääb, Tazio Strozzi, Tobias Bolch, Rafael Caduff, Håkon Trefall, Markus Stoffel, and Alexander Kokarev
The Cryosphere, 15, 927–949, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-927-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-927-2021, 2021
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We present a map of rock glacier motion over parts of the northern Tien Shan and time series of surface speed for six of them over almost 70 years.
This is by far the most detailed investigation of this kind available for central Asia.
We detect a 2- to 4-fold increase in rock glacier motion between the 1950s and present, which we attribute to atmospheric warming.
Relative to the shrinking glaciers in the region, this implies increased importance of periglacial sediment transport.
Ingmar Nitze, Sarah W. Cooley, Claude R. Duguay, Benjamin M. Jones, and Guido Grosse
The Cryosphere, 14, 4279–4297, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4279-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4279-2020, 2020
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In summer 2018, northwestern Alaska was affected by widespread lake drainage which strongly exceeded previous observations. We analyzed the spatial and temporal patterns with remote sensing observations, weather data and lake-ice simulations. The preceding fall and winter season was the second warmest and wettest on record, causing the destabilization of permafrost and elevated water levels which likely led to widespread and rapid lake drainage during or right after ice breakup.
Jiahua Zhang, Lin Liu, and Yufeng Hu
The Cryosphere, 14, 1875–1888, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1875-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1875-2020, 2020
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Ground surface in permafrost areas undergoes uplift and subsides seasonally due to freezing–thawing active layer. Surface elevation change serves as an indicator of frozen-ground dynamics. In this study, we identify 12 GPS stations across the Canadian Arctic, which are useful for measuring elevation changes by using reflected GPS signals. Measurements span from several years to over a decade and at daily intervals and help to reveal frozen ground dynamics at various temporal and spatial scales.
Eike Reinosch, Johannes Buckel, Jie Dong, Markus Gerke, Jussi Baade, and Björn Riedel
The Cryosphere, 14, 1633–1650, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1633-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1633-2020, 2020
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In this research we present the results of our satellite analysis of a permafrost landscape and periglacial landforms in mountainous regions on the Tibetan Plateau. We study seasonal and multiannual surface displacement processes, such as the freezing and thawing of the ground, seasonally accelerated sliding on steep slopes, and continuous permafrost creep. This study is the first step of our goal to create an inventory of actively moving landforms within the Nyainqêntanglha range.
Andrew M. Cunliffe, George Tanski, Boris Radosavljevic, William F. Palmer, Torsten Sachs, Hugues Lantuit, Jeffrey T. Kerby, and Isla H. Myers-Smith
The Cryosphere, 13, 1513–1528, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1513-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1513-2019, 2019
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Episodic changes of permafrost coastlines are poorly understood in the Arctic. By using drones, satellite images, and historic photos we surveyed a permafrost coastline on Qikiqtaruk – Herschel Island. We observed short-term coastline retreat of 14.5 m per year (2016–2017), exceeding long-term average rates of 2.2 m per year (1952–2017). Our study highlights the value of these tools to assess understudied episodic changes of eroding permafrost coastlines in the context of a warming Arctic.
Charles J. Abolt, Michael H. Young, Adam L. Atchley, and Cathy J. Wilson
The Cryosphere, 13, 237–245, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-237-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-237-2019, 2019
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We present a workflow that uses a machine-learning algorithm known as a convolutional neural network (CNN) to rapidly delineate ice wedge polygons in high-resolution topographic datasets. Our workflow permits thorough assessments of polygonal microtopography at the kilometer scale or greater, which can improve understanding of landscape hydrology and carbon budgets. We demonstrate that a single CNN can be trained to delineate polygons with high accuracy in diverse tundra settings.
Yonghong Yi, John S. Kimball, Richard H. Chen, Mahta Moghaddam, and Charles E. Miller
The Cryosphere, 13, 197–218, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-197-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-197-2019, 2019
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To better understand active-layer freezing process and its climate sensitivity, we developed a new 1 km snow data set for permafrost modeling and used the model simulations with multiple new in situ and P-band radar data sets to characterize the soil freeze onset and duration of zero curtain in Arctic Alaska. Results show that zero curtains of upper soils are primarily affected by early snow cover accumulation, while zero curtains of deeper soils are more closely related to maximum thaw depth.
Claire Bernard-Grand'Maison and Wayne Pollard
The Cryosphere, 12, 3589–3604, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3589-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3589-2018, 2018
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This study provides a first approximation of the volume of ice in ice wedges, a ground-ice feature in permafrost for a High Arctic polar desert region. We demonstrate that Geographical Information System analyses can be used on satellite images to estimate ice wedge volume. We estimate that 3.81 % of the top 5.9 m of permafrost could be ice-wedge ice on the Fosheim Peninsula. In response to climate change, melting ice wedges will result in widespread terrain disturbance in this region.
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Short summary
A new all-weather method for determining the frozen/thawed (FT) state of soils in the Arctic region based on satellite data was proposed. The method is based on multifrequency measurement of brightness temperatures by the SMAP and GCOM-W1/AMSR2 satellites. The created method was tested at sites in Canada, Finland, Russia, and the USA, based on climatic weather station data. The proposed method identifies the FT state of Arctic soils with better accuracy than existing methods.
A new all-weather method for determining the frozen/thawed (FT) state of soils in the Arctic...