Articles | Volume 17, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5477-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5477-2023
Research article
 | 
22 Dec 2023
Research article |  | 22 Dec 2023

Rapid warming and degradation of mountain permafrost in Norway and Iceland

Bernd Etzelmüller, Ketil Isaksen, Justyna Czekirda, Sebastian Westermann, Christin Hilbich, and Christian Hauck

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Cited articles

Andersen, J. L., Egholm, D. L., Knudsen, M. F., Jansen, J. D., and Nielsen, S. B.: The periglacial engine of mountain erosion – Part 1: Rates of frost cracking and frost creep, Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 447–462, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-447-2015, 2015. 
Arnalds, O.: The soils of Iceland, Springer, ISBN 9401796211, 2015. 
Bengtsson, L., Andrae, U., Aspelien, T., Batrak, Y., Calvo, J., de Rooy, W., Gleeson, E., Hansen-Sass, B., Homleid, M., and Hortal, M.: The HARMONIE–AROME model configuration in the ALADIN–HIRLAM NWP system, Mon. Weather Rev., 145, 1919–1935, 2017. 
Berthling, I. and Etzelmuller, B.: The concept of cryo-conditioning in landscape evolution, Quaternary Res., 75, 378–384, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2010.12.011, 2011. 
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Short summary
Permafrost (permanently frozen ground) is widespread in the mountains of Norway and Iceland. Several boreholes were drilled after 1999 for long-term permafrost monitoring. We document a strong warming of permafrost, including the development of unfrozen bodies in the permafrost. Warming and degradation of mountain permafrost may lead to more natural hazards.