Articles | Volume 18, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1773-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-18-1773-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
17 Apr 2024
Research article |
| 17 Apr 2024
| 17 Apr 2024
InSAR-measured permafrost degradation of palsa peatlands in northern Sweden
Samuel Valman
Nottingham Geospatial Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2TU, UK
School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
Matthias B. Siewert
Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
Doreen Boyd
School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
Martha Ledger
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
David Gee
Terra Motion, Nottingham, NG7 2TU, UK
Betsabé de la Barreda-Bautista
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
Andrew Sowter
Terra Motion, Nottingham, NG7 2TU, UK
Sofie Sjögersten
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK
Related authors
No articles found.
Sofie Sjögersten, Martha Ledger, Matthias Siewert, Betsabé de la Barreda-Bautista, Andrew Sowter, David Gee, Giles Foody, and Doreen S. Boyd
Biogeosciences, 20, 4221–4239, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4221-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4221-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost thaw in Arctic regions is increasing methane emissions, but quantification is difficult given the large and remote areas impacted. We show that UAV data together with satellite data can be used to extrapolate emissions across the wider landscape as well as detect areas at risk of higher emissions. A transition of currently degrading areas to fen type vegetation can increase emission by several orders of magnitude, highlighting the importance of quantifying areas at risk.
Juri Palmtag, Jaroslav Obu, Peter Kuhry, Andreas Richter, Matthias B. Siewert, Niels Weiss, Sebastian Westermann, and Gustaf Hugelius
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4095–4110, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4095-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4095-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The northern permafrost region covers 22 % of the Northern Hemisphere and holds almost twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. This paper presents data from 651 soil pedons encompassing more than 6500 samples from 16 different study areas across the northern permafrost region. We use this dataset together with ESA's global land cover dataset to estimate soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage up to 300 cm soil depth, with estimated values of 813 Pg for carbon and 55 Pg for nitrogen.
Selena Georgiou, Edward T. A. Mitchard, Bart Crezee, Paul I. Palmer, Greta C. Dargie, Sofie Sjögersten, Corneille E. N. Ewango, Ovide B. Emba, Joseph T. Kanyama, Pierre Bola, Jean-Bosco N. Ndjango, Nicholas T. Girkin, Yannick E. Bocko, Suspense A. Ifo, and Simon L. Lewis
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-580, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-580, 2022
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
Two major vegetation types, hardwood trees and palms, overlay the Central Congo Basin peatland complex, each dominant in different locations. We investigated the influence of terrain and climatological variables on their distribution, using a regression model, and found elevation and seasonal rainfall and temperature contribute significantly. There are indications of an optimal range of net water input for palm swamp to dominate, above and below which hardwood swamp dominates.
Andrew V. Bradley, Roxane Andersen, Chris Marshall, Andrew Sowter, and David J. Large
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 261–277, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-261-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-261-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The condition of peatland largely determines its capacity to store carbon, but peatland condition is not accurately known. Combining the knowledge of management, vegetation, and detecting differences in seasonal surface movement from satellite radar data, we map peat condition. In a blanket bog landscape we discovered the presence of wetter and dryer conditions, which could help guide restoration decisions, and we conclude that this approach could be transferred peat management worldwide.
Matthias B. Siewert
Biogeosciences, 15, 1663–1682, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1663-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1663-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Large amounts of soil organic carbon are stored in the circumpolar permafrost region. This article aims to improve how we map this carbon. Typically the amount of soil organic carbon is estimated using soil or land cover maps. Here the amount of carbon is modeled using machine learning. This is done at a very fine spatial resolution of 1 × 1 m. This reveals a lot of small-scale landscape variability and underlines the importance of permafrost-related landforms vulnerable to a warming climate.
Sina Muster, Kurt Roth, Moritz Langer, Stephan Lange, Fabio Cresto Aleina, Annett Bartsch, Anne Morgenstern, Guido Grosse, Benjamin Jones, A. Britta K. Sannel, Ylva Sjöberg, Frank Günther, Christian Andresen, Alexandra Veremeeva, Prajna R. Lindgren, Frédéric Bouchard, Mark J. Lara, Daniel Fortier, Simon Charbonneau, Tarmo A. Virtanen, Gustaf Hugelius, Juri Palmtag, Matthias B. Siewert, William J. Riley, Charles D. Koven, and Julia Boike
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 9, 317–348, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-9-317-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-9-317-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Waterbodies are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. Most waterbodies are ponds with a surface area smaller than 100 x 100 m. The Permafrost Region Pond and Lake Database (PeRL) for the first time maps ponds as small as 10 x 10 m. PeRL maps can be used to document changes both by comparing them to historical and future imagery. The distribution of waterbodies in the Arctic is important to know in order to manage resources in the Arctic and to improve climate predictions in the Arctic.
Annett Bartsch, Barbara Widhalm, Peter Kuhry, Gustaf Hugelius, Juri Palmtag, and Matthias Benjamin Siewert
Biogeosciences, 13, 5453–5470, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5453-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5453-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
A new approach for the estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools north of the tree line has been developed based on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from the ENVISAT satellite. It can be shown that measurements of C-band SAR under frozen conditions represent vegetation and surface structure properties which relate to soil properties, specifically SOC. The approach provides the first spatially consistent account of soil organic carbon across the Arctic.
Matthew J. Bridgman, Barry H. Lomax, and Sofie Sjogersten
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2016-105, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2016-105, 2016
Preprint withdrawn
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigate if elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide enhance methane emissions from wetlands and if responses vary among different sedge species. Half of the species increased in biomass under elevated carbon dioxide compared to controls, resulting in greater soil methane emissions. In contrast, biomass and methane emissions of the other species was reduced under elevated carbon dioxide. This shows that species specific responses to elevated carbon dioxide impacted methane emissions.
M. Fritz, B. N. Deshpande, F. Bouchard, E. Högström, J. Malenfant-Lepage, A. Morgenstern, A. Nieuwendam, M. Oliva, M. Paquette, A. C. A. Rudy, M. B. Siewert, Y. Sjöberg, and S. Weege
The Cryosphere, 9, 1715–1720, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1715-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-1715-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This is a contribution about the future of permafrost research to the 3rd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning 2015 (ICARP III).
We summarize the top five research questions for the next decade of permafrost science from the perspective of early career researchers (ECRs).
We highlight the pathways and structural preconditions to address these research priorities.
This manuscript is an outcome of a community consultation conducted for and by ECRs on a global level.
Related subject area
Discipline: Frozen ground | Subject: Frozen Ground
Spectral induced polarization survey for the estimation of hydrogeological parameters in an active rock glacier
Effect of surficial geology mapping scale on modelled ground ice in Canadian Shield terrain
High-resolution 4D ERT monitoring of recently deglaciated sediments undergoing freeze-thaw transitions in the High Arctic
The evolution of Arctic permafrost over the last 3 centuries from ensemble simulations with the CryoGridLite permafrost model
Permafrost saline water and Early to mid-Holocene permafrost aggradation in Svalbard
Environmental spaces for palsas and peat plateaus are disappearing at a circumpolar scale
Post-Little Ice Age rock wall permafrost evolution in Norway
Modelling rock glacier ice content based on InSAR-derived velocity, Khumbu and Lhotse valleys, Nepal
The temperature-dependent shear strength of ice-filled joints in rock mass considering the effect of joint roughness, opening and shear rates
Significant underestimation of peatland permafrost along the Labrador Sea coastline in northern Canada
Estimation of stream water components and residence time in a permafrost catchment in the central Tibetan Plateau using long-term water stable isotopic data
Brief communication: Improving ERA5-Land soil temperature in permafrost regions using an optimized multi-layer snow scheme
Towards accurate quantification of ice content in permafrost of the Central Andes – Part 2: An upscaling strategy of geophysical measurements to the catchment scale at two study sites
Long-term analysis of cryoseismic events and associated ground thermal stress in Adventdalen, Svalbard
Seismic physics-based characterization of permafrost sites using surface waves
Three in one: GPS-IR measurements of ground surface elevation changes, soil moisture, and snow depth at a permafrost site in the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Surface temperatures and their influence on the permafrost thermal regime in high-Arctic rock walls on Svalbard
Consequences of permafrost degradation for Arctic infrastructure – bridging the model gap between regional and engineering scales
Passive seismic recording of cryoseisms in Adventdalen, Svalbard
Projecting circum-Arctic excess-ground-ice melt with a sub-grid representation in the Community Land Model
Ground ice, organic carbon and soluble cations in tundra permafrost soils and sediments near a Laurentide ice divide in the Slave Geological Province, Northwest Territories, Canada
The ERA5-Land soil temperature bias in permafrost regions
Brief Communication: The reliability of gas extraction techniques for analysing CH4 and N2O compositions in gas trapped in permafrost ice wedges
Geochemical signatures of pingo ice and its origin in Grøndalen, west Spitsbergen
Mountain permafrost degradation documented through a network of permanent electrical resistivity tomography sites
Permafrost variability over the Northern Hemisphere based on the MERRA-2 reanalysis
Distinguishing ice-rich and ice-poor permafrost to map ground temperatures and ground ice occurrence in the Swiss Alps
New ground ice maps for Canada using a paleogeographic modelling approach
Origin, burial and preservation of late Pleistocene-age glacier ice in Arctic permafrost (Bylot Island, NU, Canada)
Characteristics and fate of isolated permafrost patches in coastal Labrador, Canada
Rock glaciers in Daxue Shan, south-eastern Tibetan Plateau: an inventory, their distribution, and their environmental controls
Microtopographic control on the ground thermal regime in ice wedge polygons
Clemens Moser, Umberto Morra di Cella, Christian Hauck, and Adrián Flores Orozco
The Cryosphere, 19, 143–171, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-143-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-143-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We use electrical conductivity and induced polarization in an imaging framework to quantify hydrogeological parameters in the active Gran Sometta rock glacier. The results show high spatial variability in the hydrogeological parameters across the rock glacier and are validated by saltwater tracer tests coupled with 3D electrical conductivity imaging. Hydrogeological information was linked to kinematic data to further investigate its role in rock glacier movement.
H. Brendan O'Neill, Stephen A. Wolfe, Caroline Duchesne, and Ryan J. H. Parker
The Cryosphere, 18, 2979–2990, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2979-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-2979-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Maps that show ground ice in permafrost at circumpolar or hemispherical scales offer only general depictions of broad patterns in ice content. In this paper, we show that using more detailed surficial geology in a ground ice computer model significantly improves the depiction of ground ice and makes the mapping useful for assessments of the effects of permafrost thaw and for reconnaissance planning of infrastructure routing.
Mihai O. Cimpoiasu, Oliver Kuras, Harry Harrison, Paul B. Wilkinson, Philip Meldrum, Jonathan E. Chambers, Dane Liljestrand, Carlos Oroza, Steven K. Schmidt, Pacifica Sommers, Lara Vimercati, Trevor P. Irons, Zhou Lyu, Adam Solon, and James A. Bradley
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-350, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-350, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Young Arctic sediments, uncovered by retreating glaciers, are in continuous development, shaped by how water infiltrates and is stored in the near subsurface. Harsh weather conditions at high latitudes make direct observation of these environments extremely difficult. To address this, we deployed two automated sensor installations in Aug 21 on a glacier forefield in Svalbard. These recorded continuously for one year revealing unprecedented images of the ground’s freeze-thaw transition.
Moritz Langer, Jan Nitzbon, Brian Groenke, Lisa-Marie Assmann, Thomas Schneider von Deimling, Simone Maria Stuenzi, and Sebastian Westermann
The Cryosphere, 18, 363–385, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-363-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-363-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using a model that can simulate the evolution of Arctic permafrost over centuries to millennia, we find that post-industrialization permafrost warming has three "hotspots" in NE Canada, N Alaska, and W Siberia. The extent of near-surface permafrost has decreased substantially since 1850, with the largest area losses occurring in the last 50 years. The simulations also show that volcanic eruptions have in some cases counteracted the loss of near-surface permafrost for a few decades.
Dotan Rotem, Vladimir Lyakhovsky, Hanne Hvidtfeldt Christiansen, Yehudit Harlavan, and Yishai Weinstein
The Cryosphere, 17, 3363–3381, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3363-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3363-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Frozen saline pore water, left over from post-glacial marine ingression, was found in shallow permafrost in a Svalbard fjord valley. This suggests that freezing occurred immediately after marine regression due to isostatic rebound. We conducted top-down freezing simulations, which confirmed that with Early to mid-Holocene temperatures (e.g. −4 °C), freezing could progress down to 20–40 m within 200 years. This, in turn, could inhibit flow through the sediment, therefore preserving saline fluids.
Oona Leppiniemi, Olli Karjalainen, Juha Aalto, Miska Luoto, and Jan Hjort
The Cryosphere, 17, 3157–3176, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3157-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3157-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
For the first time, suitable environments for palsas and peat plateaus were modeled for the whole Northern Hemisphere. The hotspots of occurrences were in northern Europe, western Siberia, and subarctic Canada. Climate change was predicted to cause almost complete loss of the studied landforms by the late century. Our predictions filled knowledge gaps in the distribution of the landforms, and they can be utilized in estimation of the pace and impacts of the climate change over northern regions.
Justyna Czekirda, Bernd Etzelmüller, Sebastian Westermann, Ketil Isaksen, and Florence Magnin
The Cryosphere, 17, 2725–2754, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2725-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2725-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We assess spatio-temporal permafrost variations in selected rock walls in Norway over the last 120 years. Ground temperature is modelled using the two-dimensional ground heat flux model CryoGrid 2D along nine profiles. Permafrost probably occurs at most sites. All simulations show increasing ground temperature from the 1980s. Our simulations show that rock wall permafrost with a temperature of −1 °C at 20 m depth could thaw at this depth within 50 years.
Yan Hu, Stephan Harrison, Lin Liu, and Joanne Laura Wood
The Cryosphere, 17, 2305–2321, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2305-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-2305-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Rock glaciers are considered to be important freshwater reservoirs in the future climate. However, the amount of ice stored in rock glaciers is poorly quantified. Here we developed an empirical model to estimate ice content in rock the glaciers in the Khumbu and Lhotse valleys, Nepal. The modelling results confirmed the hydrological importance of rock glaciers in the study area. The developed approach shows promise in being applied to permafrost regions to assess water storage of rock glaciers.
Shibing Huang, Haowei Cai, Zekun Xin, and Gang Liu
The Cryosphere, 17, 1205–1223, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1205-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1205-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, the warming degradation mechanism of ice-filled joints is revealed, and the effect of temperature, normal stress, shear rate and joint opening on the shear strength of rough ice-filled joints is investigated. The shear rupture modes include shear cracking of joint ice and debonding of the ice–rock interface, which is related to the above factors. The bonding strength of the ice–rock interface is larger than the shear strength of joint ice when the temperature is below −1 ℃.
Yifeng Wang, Robert G. Way, Jordan Beer, Anika Forget, Rosamond Tutton, and Meredith C. Purcell
The Cryosphere, 17, 63–78, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-63-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-63-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Peatland permafrost in northeastern Canada has been misrepresented by models, leading to significant underestimates of peatland permafrost and permafrost distribution along the Labrador Sea coastline. Our multi-stage, multi-mapper, consensus-based inventorying process, supported by field- and imagery-based validation efforts, identifies peatland permafrost complexes all along the coast. The highest density of complexes is found to the south of the current sporadic discontinuous permafrost limit.
Shaoyong Wang, Xiaobo He, Shichang Kang, Hui Fu, and Xiaofeng Hong
The Cryosphere, 16, 5023–5040, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-5023-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-5023-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study used the sine-wave exponential model and long-term water stable isotopic data to estimate water mean residence time (MRT) and its influencing factors in a high-altitude permafrost catchment (5300 m a.s.l.) in the central Tibetan Plateau (TP). MRT for stream and supra-permafrost water was estimated at 100 and 255 d, respectively. Climate and vegetation factors affected the MRT of stream and supra-permafrost water mainly by changing the thickness of the permafrost active layer.
Bin Cao, Gabriele Arduini, and Ervin Zsoter
The Cryosphere, 16, 2701–2708, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2701-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2701-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We implemented a new multi-layer snow scheme in the land surface scheme of ERA5-Land with revised snow densification parameterizations. The revised HTESSEL improved the representation of soil temperature in permafrost regions compared to ERA5-Land; in particular, warm bias in winter was significantly reduced, and the resulting modeled near-surface permafrost extent was improved.
Tamara Mathys, Christin Hilbich, Lukas U. Arenson, Pablo A. Wainstein, and Christian Hauck
The Cryosphere, 16, 2595–2615, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2595-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2595-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
With ongoing climate change, there is a pressing need to understand how much water is stored as ground ice in permafrost. Still, field-based data on permafrost in the Andes are scarce, resulting in large uncertainties regarding ground ice volumes and their hydrological role. We introduce an upscaling methodology of geophysical-based ground ice quantifications at the catchment scale. Our results indicate that substantial ground ice volumes may also be present in areas without rock glaciers.
Rowan Romeyn, Alfred Hanssen, and Andreas Köhler
The Cryosphere, 16, 2025–2050, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2025-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2025-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We have investigated a long-term record of ground vibrations, recorded by a seismic array installed in Adventdalen, Svalbard. This record contains a large number of
frost quakes, a type of ground shaking that can be produced by cracks that form as the ground cools rapidly. We use underground temperatures measured in a nearby borehole to model forces of thermal expansion and contraction that can cause these cracks. We also use the seismic measurements to estimate where these cracks occurred.
Hongwei Liu, Pooneh Maghoul, and Ahmed Shalaby
The Cryosphere, 16, 1157–1180, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1157-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1157-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The knowledge of physical and mechanical properties of permafrost and its location is critical for the management of permafrost-related geohazards. Here, we developed a hybrid inverse and multiphase poromechanical approach to quantitatively estimate the physical and mechanical properties of a permafrost site. Our study demonstrates the potential of surface wave techniques coupled with our proposed data-processing algorithm to characterize a permafrost site more accurately.
Jiahua Zhang, Lin Liu, Lei Su, and Tao Che
The Cryosphere, 15, 3021–3033, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3021-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3021-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We improve the commonly used GPS-IR algorithm for estimating surface soil moisture in permafrost areas, which does not consider the bias introduced by seasonal surface vertical movement. We propose a three-in-one framework to integrate the GPS-IR observations of surface elevation changes, soil moisture, and snow depth at one site and illustrate it by using a GPS site in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. This study is the first to use GPS-IR to measure environmental variables in the Tibetan Plateau.
Juditha Undine Schmidt, Bernd Etzelmüller, Thomas Vikhamar Schuler, Florence Magnin, Julia Boike, Moritz Langer, and Sebastian Westermann
The Cryosphere, 15, 2491–2509, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2491-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2491-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents rock surface temperatures (RSTs) of steep high-Arctic rock walls on Svalbard from 2016 to 2020. The field data show that coastal cliffs are characterized by warmer RSTs than inland locations during winter seasons. By running model simulations, we analyze factors leading to that effect, calculate the surface energy balance and simulate different future scenarios. Both field data and model results can contribute to a further understanding of RST in high-Arctic rock walls.
Thomas Schneider von Deimling, Hanna Lee, Thomas Ingeman-Nielsen, Sebastian Westermann, Vladimir Romanovsky, Scott Lamoureux, Donald A. Walker, Sarah Chadburn, Erin Trochim, Lei Cai, Jan Nitzbon, Stephan Jacobi, and Moritz Langer
The Cryosphere, 15, 2451–2471, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2451-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2451-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Climate warming puts infrastructure built on permafrost at risk of failure. There is a growing need for appropriate model-based risk assessments. Here we present a modelling study and show an exemplary case of how a gravel road in a cold permafrost environment in Alaska might suffer from degrading permafrost under a scenario of intense climate warming. We use this case study to discuss the broader-scale applicability of our model for simulating future Arctic infrastructure failure.
Rowan Romeyn, Alfred Hanssen, Bent Ole Ruud, Helene Meling Stemland, and Tor Arne Johansen
The Cryosphere, 15, 283–302, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-283-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-283-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
A series of unusual ground motion signatures were identified in geophone recordings at a frost polygon site in Adventdalen on Svalbard. By analysing where the ground motion originated in time and space, we are able to classify them as cryoseisms, also known as frost quakes, a ground-cracking phenomenon that occurs as a result of freezing processes. The waves travelling through the ground produced by these frost quakes also allow us to measure the structure of the permafrost in the near surface.
Lei Cai, Hanna Lee, Kjetil Schanke Aas, and Sebastian Westermann
The Cryosphere, 14, 4611–4626, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4611-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4611-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
A sub-grid representation of excess ground ice in the Community Land Model (CLM) is developed as novel progress in modeling permafrost thaw and its impacts under the warming climate. The modeled permafrost degradation with sub-grid excess ice follows the pathway that continuous permafrost transforms into discontinuous permafrost before it disappears, including surface subsidence and talik formation, which are highly permafrost-relevant landscape changes excluded from most land models.
Rupesh Subedi, Steven V. Kokelj, and Stephan Gruber
The Cryosphere, 14, 4341–4364, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4341-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-4341-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost beneath tundra near Lac de Gras (Northwest Territories, Canada) contains more ice and less organic carbon than shown in global compilations. Excess-ice content of 20–60 %, likely remnant Laurentide basal ice, is found in upland till. This study is based on 24 boreholes up to 10 m deep. Findings highlight geology and glacial legacy as determinants of a mosaic of permafrost characteristics with potential for thaw subsidence up to several metres in some locations.
Bin Cao, Stephan Gruber, Donghai Zheng, and Xin Li
The Cryosphere, 14, 2581–2595, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2581-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2581-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This study reports that ERA5-Land (ERA5L) soil temperature bias in permafrost regions correlates with the bias in air temperature and with maximum snow height. While global reanalyses are important drivers for permafrost study, ERA5L soil data are not well suited for directly informing permafrost research decision making due to their warm bias in winter. To address this, future soil temperature products in reanalyses will require permafrost-specific alterations to their land surface models.
Ji-Woong Yang, Jinho Ahn, Go Iwahana, Sangyoung Han, Kyungmin Kim, and Alexander Fedorov
The Cryosphere, 14, 1311–1324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1311-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1311-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Thawing permafrost may lead to decomposition of soil carbon and nitrogen and emission of greenhouse gases. Thus, methane and nitrous oxide compositions in ground ice may provide information on their production mechanisms in permafrost. We test conventional wet and dry extraction methods. We find that both methods extract gas from the easily extractable parts of the ice and yield similar results for mixing ratios. However, both techniques are unable to fully extract gas from the ice.
Nikita Demidov, Sebastian Wetterich, Sergey Verkulich, Aleksey Ekaykin, Hanno Meyer, Mikhail Anisimov, Lutz Schirrmeister, Vasily Demidov, and Andrew J. Hodson
The Cryosphere, 13, 3155–3169, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3155-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3155-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
As Norwegian geologist Liestøl (1996) recognised,
in connection with formation of pingos there are a great many unsolved questions. Drillings and temperature measurements through the pingo mound and also through the surrounding permafrost are needed before the problems can be better understood. To shed light on pingo formation here we present the results of first drilling of pingo on Spitsbergen together with results of detailed hydrochemical and stable-isotope studies of massive-ice samples.
Coline Mollaret, Christin Hilbich, Cécile Pellet, Adrian Flores-Orozco, Reynald Delaloye, and Christian Hauck
The Cryosphere, 13, 2557–2578, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2557-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2557-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We present a long-term multisite electrical resistivity tomography monitoring network (more than 1000 datasets recorded from six mountain permafrost sites). Despite harsh and remote measurement conditions, the datasets are of good quality and show consistent spatio-temporal variations yielding significant added value to point-scale borehole information. Observed long-term trends are similar for all permafrost sites, showing ongoing permafrost thaw and ground ice loss due to climatic conditions.
Jing Tao, Randal D. Koster, Rolf H. Reichle, Barton A. Forman, Yuan Xue, Richard H. Chen, and Mahta Moghaddam
The Cryosphere, 13, 2087–2110, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2087-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2087-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The active layer thickness (ALT) in middle-to-high northern latitudes from 1980 to 2017 was produced at 81 km2 resolution by a global land surface model (NASA's CLSM) with forcing fields from a reanalysis data set, MERRA-2. The simulated permafrost distribution and ALTs agree reasonably well with an observation-based map and in situ measurements, respectively. The accumulated above-freezing air temperature and maximum snow water equivalent explain most of the year-to-year variability of ALT.
Robert Kenner, Jeannette Noetzli, Martin Hoelzle, Hugo Raetzo, and Marcia Phillips
The Cryosphere, 13, 1925–1941, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1925-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-1925-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
A new permafrost mapping method distinguishes between ice-poor and ice-rich permafrost. The approach was tested for the entire Swiss Alps and highlights the dominating influence of the factors elevation and solar radiation on the distribution of ice-poor permafrost. Our method enabled the indication of mean annual ground temperatures and the cartographic representation of permafrost-free belts, which are bounded above by ice-poor permafrost and below by permafrost-containing excess ice.
H. Brendan O'Neill, Stephen A. Wolfe, and Caroline Duchesne
The Cryosphere, 13, 753–773, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-753-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-753-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we present new models to depict ground ice in permafrost in Canada, incorporating knowledge from recent studies. The model outputs we present reproduce observed regional ground ice conditions and are generally comparable with previous mapping. However, our results are more detailed and more accurately reflect ground ice conditions in many regions. The new mapping is an important step toward understanding terrain response to permafrost degradation in Canada.
Stephanie Coulombe, Daniel Fortier, Denis Lacelle, Mikhail Kanevskiy, and Yuri Shur
The Cryosphere, 13, 97–111, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-97-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-97-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides a detailed description of relict glacier ice preserved in the permafrost of Bylot Island (Nunavut). We demonstrate that the 18O composition (-34.0 0.4 ‰) of the ice is consistent with the late Pleistocene age ice in the Barnes Ice Cap. As most of the glaciated Arctic landscapes are still strongly determined by their glacial legacy, the melting of these large ice bodies could have significant impacts on permafrost geosystem landscape dynamics and ecosystems.
Robert G. Way, Antoni G. Lewkowicz, and Yu Zhang
The Cryosphere, 12, 2667–2688, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2667-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2667-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Isolated patches of permafrost in southeast Labrador are among the southernmost lowland permafrost features in Canada. Local characteristics at six sites were investigated from Cartwright, NL (~ 54° N) to Blanc-Sablon, QC (~ 51° N). Annual ground temperatures varied from −0.7 °C to −2.3 °C with permafrost thicknesses of 1.7–12 m. Ground temperatures modelled for two sites showed permafrost disappearing at the southern site by 2060 and persistence beyond 2100 at the northern site only for RCP2.6.
Zeze Ran and Gengnian Liu
The Cryosphere, 12, 2327–2340, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2327-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2327-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This article provides the first rock glacier inventory of Daxue Shan, south- eastern Tibetan Plateau. This study provides important data for exploring the relation between maritime periglacial environments and the development of rock glaciers on the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau (TP). It may also highlight the characteristics typical of rock glaciers found in a maritime setting.
Charles J. Abolt, Michael H. Young, Adam L. Atchley, and Dylan R. Harp
The Cryosphere, 12, 1957–1968, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1957-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1957-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the relationship between ice wedge polygon topography and near-surface ground temperature using a combination of field work and numerical modeling. We analyze a year-long record of ground temperature across a low-centered polygon, then demonstrate that lower rims and deeper troughs promote warmer conditions in the ice wedge in winter. This finding implies that ice wedge cracking and growth, which are driven by cold conditions, can be impeded by rim erosion or trough subsidence.
Cited articles
Åkerman, H. J. and Johansson, M.: Thawing permafrost and thicker active layers in sub-arctic Sweden, Permafrost Periglac., 19, 279–292, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.626, 2008.
Alshammari, L., Large, D. J., Boyd, D. S., Sowter, A., Anderson, R., Andersen, R., and Marsh, S.: Long-Term Peatland Condition Assessment via Surface Motion Monitoring Using the ISBAS DInSAR Technique over the Flow Country, Scotland, Remote Sens., 10, 1103, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10071103, 2018.
Alshammari, L., Boyd, D. S., Sowter, A., Marshall, C., Andersen, R., Gilbert, P., Marsh, S., and Large, D. J.: Use of Surface Motion Characteristics Determined by InSAR to Assess Peatland Condition, J. Geophys. Res., 125, e2018JG004953, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004953, 2020.
Backe, S.: Kartering av Sveriges palsmyrar, Länsstyrelsen, oai:DiVA.org:naturvardsverket-2318, 2014.
Ballantyne C. K.: Periglacial geomorphology, John Wiley and Son, ISBN 9781405100069, 2018.
Bartsch, A., Widhalm, B., Kuhry, P., Hugelius, G., Palmtag, J., and Siewert, M. B.: Can C-band synthetic aperture radar be used to estimate soil organic carbon storage in tundra?, Biogeosciences, 13, 5453–5470, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5453-2016, 2016.
Beer, J. M., Wang, Y., Way, R., Forget, A., and Colyn, V.: Uncrewed aerial vehicle-based assessments of peatland permafrost vulnerability along the Labrador Sea coastline, northern Canada, arXiv [preprint], https://doi.org/10.31223/X5610M, 2023.
Biskaborn, B. K., Smith, S. L., Noetzli, J., Matthes, H., Vieira, G., Streletskiy, D. A., Schoeneich, P., Romanovsky, V. E., Lewkowicz, A. G., Abramov, A., Allard, M., Boike, J., Cable, W. L., Christiansen, H. H., Delaloye, R., Diekmann, B., Drozdov, D., Etzelmüller, B., Grosse, G., and Lantuit, H.: Permafrost is warming at a global scale, Nat. Commun., 10, 264, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08240-4, 2019.
Borge, A. F., Westermann, S., Solheim, I., and Etzelmüller, B.: Strong degradation of palsas and peat plateaus in northern Norway during the last 60 years, The Cryosphere, 11, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1-2017, 2017.
Bradley, A. V., Andersen, R., Marshall, C., Sowter, A., and Large, D. J.: Identification of typical ecohydrological behaviours using InSAR allows landscape-scale mapping of peatland condition, Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 261–277, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-261-2022, 2022.
Chadburn, S. E., Burke, E. J., Cox, P. M., Friedlingstein, P., Hugelius, G., and Westermann, S.: An observation-based constraint on permafrost loss as a function of global warming, Nat. Clim. Change 7, 340–344, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3262, 2017.
Chen, C. W. and Zebker, H. A.: Two-dimensional phase unwrapping with use of statistical models for cost functions in nonlinear optimization, JOSA A, 18, 338–351, 2001.
Christiansen, H. H., Etzelmüller, B., Isaksen, K., Juliussen, H., Farbrot, H., Humlum, O., Johansson, M., Ingeman-Nielsen, T., Kristensen, L., Hjort, J., Holmlund, P., Sannel, A. B. K., Sigsgaard, C., Åkerman, H. J., Foged, N., Blikra, L. H., Pernosky, M. A., and Ødegård, R. S.: The thermal state of permafrost in the nordic area during the international polar year 2007–2009, Permafrost Periglac., 21, 156–181, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.687, 2010.
Cigna, F. and Sowter, A.: The relationship between intermittent coherence and precision of ISBAS InSAR ground motion velocities: ERS-1/2 case studies in the UK, Remote Sens. Environ., 202, 177–198, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.05.016, 2017.
de la Barreda-Bautista, B., Boyd, D. S., Ledger, M., Siewert, M. B., Chandler, C., Bradley, A. V., Gee, D., Large, D. J., Olofsson, J., Sowter, A., and Sjögersten, S.: Towards a Monitoring Approach for Understanding Permafrost Degradation and Linked Subsidence in Arctic Peatlands, Remote Sens., 14, 44, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14030444, 2022.
Douglas, T. A., Jorgenson, M. T., Brown, D. R. N., Campbell, S. W., Hiemstra, C. A., Saari, S. P., Bjella, K., and Liljedahl, A. K.: Degrading permafrost mapped with electrical resistivity tomography, airborne imagery and LiDAR, and seasonal thaw measurements, Geophysics, 81, WA71–WA85, https://doi.org/10.1190/geo2015-0149.1, 2015.
Douglas, T. A., Hiemstra, C. A., Anderson, J. E., Barbato, R. A., Bjella, K. L., Deeb, E. J., Gelvin, A. B., Nelsen, P. E., Newman, S. D., Saari, S. P., and Wagner, A. M.: Recent degradation of interior Alaska permafrost mapped with ground surveys, geophysics, deep drilling, and repeat airborne lidar, The Cryosphere, 15, 3555–3575, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-3555-2021, 2021.
ESA: Definition of the TOPS SLC deramping function for products generated by the S-1 IPF, European Space Agency, COPE-GSEG-EOPG-TN-14-0025, Issue 1, Revision 2, COPE-GSEG-EOPG-TN-14-0025, 22 April 2015.
ESA: Sentinel-1 Interferometric Wide swath mode. Copernicus Open Access Hub, https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/, last accessed: 28 March 2024.
Farbrot, H., Isaksen, K., Etzelmüller, B., and Gisnås, K.: Ground Thermal Regime and Permafrost Distribution under a Changing Climate in Northern Norway, Permafrost Periglac., 24, 20–38, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1763, 2013.
Fewster, R. E., Morris, P. J., Ivanovic, R. F., Swindles, G. T., Peregon, A. M., and Smith, C. J.: Imminent loss of climate space for permafrost peatlands in Europe and Western Siberia, Nat. Clim. Change, 12, 373–379, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01296-7, 2022.
Franklin, S. E.: Interpretation and use of geomorphometry in remote sensing: a guide and review of integrated applications, Int. J. Remote Sens., 41, 7700–7733, https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2020.1792577, 2020.
Gee, D., Bateson, L., Sowter, A., Grebby, S., Novellino, A., Cigna, F., Marsh, S., Banton, C., and Wyatt, L.: Ground Motion in Areas of Abandoned Mining: Application of the Intermittent SBAS (ISBAS) to the Northumberland and Durham Coalfield, UK, Geosciences, 7, 85, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences7030085, 2017.
Gisnås, K., Etzelmüller, B., Lussana, C., Hjort, J., Sannel, A. B. K., Isaksen, K., Westermann, S., Kuhry, P., Christiansen, H. H., Frampton, A., and Åkerman, J.: Permafrost Map for Norway, Sweden and Finland, Permafrost Periglac., 28, 359–378, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1922, 2017.
Glagolev, M., Kleptsova, I., Filippov, I., Maksyutov, S., and Machida, T.: Regional methane emission from West Siberia mire landscapes, Environ. Res. Lett., 6, 045214, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/6/4/045214, 2011.
Hänsel, S.: Changes in the Characteristics of Dry and Wet Periods in Europe (1851–2015), Atmosphere, 11, 1080, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11101080, 2020.
Harris, C. R., Millman, K. J., van der Walt, S. J., Gommers, R., Virtanen, P., Cournapeau, D., Wieser, E., Taylor, J., Berg, S., Smith, N. J., Kern, R., Picus, M., Hoyer, S., van Kerkwijk, M. H., Brett, M., Haldane, A., del Río, J. F., Wiebe, M., Peterson, P., and Oliphant, T. E.: Array programming with NumPy, Nature, 585, 357–362, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2649-2, 2020.
Harris, L. I., Richardson, K., Bona, K. A., Davidson, S. J., Finkelstein, S. A., Garneau, M., McLaughlin, J., Nwaishi, F., Olefeldt, D., Packalen, M., Roulet, N. T., Southee, F. M., Strack, M., Webster, K. L., Wilkinson, S. L., and Ray, J. C.: The essential carbon service provided by northern peatlands, Front. Ecol. Environ., 20, 222–230, https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2437, 2022.
Hugelius, G. A., Loisel, J. A., Chadburn, S. A., Jackson, R. A., Jones, M. A., MacDonald, G., Marushchak, M., Olefeldt, D. A., Packalen, M., Siewert, M. A, Treat, C. A.-O., Turetsky, M., Voigt, C. A., and Yu, Z. A.: Large stocks of peatland carbon and nitrogen are vulnerable to permafrost thaw, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 117, 20438–20446, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1916387117, 2020.
IPCC: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press, https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157896, 2021.
Irannezhad, M., Ronkanen, A.-K., Kiani, S., Chen, D., and Kløve, B.: Long-term variability and trends in annual snowfall/total precipitation ratio in Finland and the role of atmospheric circulation patterns, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 143, 23–31, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2017.08.008, 2017.
Irannezhad, M., Moradkhani, H., and Kløve, B.: Spatiotemporal Variability and Trends in Extreme Temperature Events in Finland over the Recent Decades: Influence of Northern Hemisphere Teleconnection Patterns, Adv. Meteorol., 2018, 7169840, https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7169840, 2018.
Isaksen, K., Sollid, J. L., Holmlund, P., and Harris, C.: Recent warming of mountain permafrost in Svalbard and Scandinavia, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 112, F02S04, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000522, 2007.
Johansson, M., Åkerman, J., Keuper, F., Christensen, T. R., Lantuit, H., and Callaghan, T. V.: Past and Present Permafrost Temperatures in the Abisko Area: Redrilling of Boreholes, AMBIO, 40, 558, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-011-0163-3, 2011.
Johansson, M., Callaghan, T. V., Bosiö, J., Åkerman, H. J., Jackowicz-Korczynski, M., and Christensen, T. R.: Rapid responses of permafrost and vegetation to experimentally increased snow cover in sub-arctic Sweden, Environ. Res. Lett., 8, 035025, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/035025, 2013.
Karlson, M., bastviken, D., and Reese, H.: Error characteristics of pan-arctic digital elevation models and elevation derivatives in northern sweden, Remote Sens., 13, 4653, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13224653, 2021.
Köchy, M., Hiederer, R., and Freibauer, A.: Global distribution of soil organic carbon – Part 1: Masses and frequency distributions of SOC stocks for the tropics, permafrost regions, wetlands, and the world, SOIL, 1, 351–365, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-1-351-2015, 2015.
König, S., Schultz, J. A., Schoch, A., Blöthe, J., Schrott, L., and Thonfeld, F.: Mountain Permafrost Distribution Modeling–A Geomorphometry-Remote Sensing Approach for the Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria, Dreiländertagung der DGPF, der OVG und der SGPF in Wien, Österreich–Publikationen der DGPF, 28, 2019.
Lantmäteriet: Orthophoto (Ortofoto), Version 2.7., https://www.lantmateriet.se/globalassets/geodata/geodataprodukter/flyg--och-satellitbilder/e_pb_ortofoto.pdf (last access: 10 January 2024), 2021.
Leppiniemi, O., Karjalainen, O., Aalto, J., Luoto, M., and Hjort, J.: Environmental spaces for palsas and peat plateaus are disappearing at a circumpolar scale, The Cryosphere, 17, 3157–3176, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-3157-2023, 2023.
Liu, L., Zhang, T., and Wahr, J.: InSAR measurements of surface deformation over permafrost on the North Slope of Alaska, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 115, F03023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JF001547, 2010.
Luoto, M. and Seppälä, M.: Modelling the distribution of palsas in Finnish Lapland with logistic regression and GIS, Permafrost Periglac., 13, 17–28, 2002.
Luoto, M. and Seppälä, M.: Thermokarst ponds as indicators of the former distribution of palsas in Finnish Lapland, Permafrost Periglac., 14, 19–27, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.441, 2003.
Mamet, S. D., Chun, K. P., Kershaw, G. G. L., Loranty, M. M., and Kershaw, G. P.: Recent Increases in Permafrost Thaw Rates and Areal Loss of Palsas in the Western Northwest Territories, Canada, Permafrost Periglac., 28, 619–633, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1951, 2017.
Markkula, I., Turunen, M., and Rasmus, S.: A review of climate change impacts on the ecosystem services in the Saami Homeland in Finland, Sci. Total Environ., 692, 1070–1085, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.272, 2019.
Matthews, J. A., Dahl, S.-O., Berrisford, M. S., and Nesje, A.: Cyclic Development and Thermokarstic Degradation of Palsas in the Mid-Alpine Zone at Leirpullan, Dovrefjell, Southern Norway, Permafrost Periglac., 8, 107–122, https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1530(199701)8:1<107::AID-PPP237>3.0.CO;2-Z, 1997.
McKinney, W.: Pandas: a Foundational Python Library for Data Analysis and Statistics, 2011.
Miglovets, Ì., Zagirova, S., Goncharova, N., and Mikhailov, Î.: Methane Emission from Palsa Mires in Northeastern European Russia, Russ. Meteorol. Hydrol., 46, 52–59, https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068373921010076, 2021.
Morin, P., Porter, C., Cloutier, M., Howat, I., Noh, M. J., Willis, M., Bates, B., Willamson, C., and Peterman, K.: ArcticDEM; a publically available, high resolution elevation model of the Arctic, EGU General Assembly 2016, 17-22 April 2016, Vienna, Austria, EPSC2016-8396, 2016.
Obu, J.: How Much of the Earth's Surface is Underlain by Permafrost?, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 126, e2021JF006123, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JF006123, 2021.
Obu, J., Westermann, S., Kääb, A., and Bartsch, A.: Ground Temperature Map, 2000–2016, Northern Hemisphere Permafrost, PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.888600, 2018.
Olvmo, M., Holmer, B., Thorsson, S., Reese, H., and Lindberg, F.: Sub-arctic palsa degradation and the role of climatic drivers in the largest coherent palsa mire complex in Sweden (Vissátvuopmi), 1955–2016, Sci. Rep.-UK, 10, 8937, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65719-1, 2020.
Otto, J. c., Keuschnig, M., Götz, J., Marbach, M., and Schrott, L.: Detection of mountain permafrost by combining high resolution surface and subsurface information–an example from the Glatzbach catchment, Austrian Alps, Geogr. Ann. A, 94, 43-57, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0459.2012.00455.x, 2012.
QGIS: QGIS User Guide: 24.2.1 Raster Analysis, https://docs.qgis.org/3.16/en/docs/user_manual/processing_algs/gdal/rasteranalysis.html#hillshade (last access: 1 January 2024), 2022.
Ramage, J., Jungsberg, L., Wang, S. N., Westermann, S., Lantuit, H., and Heleniak, T.: Population living on permafrost in the Arctic, Popul. Environ., 43, 22–38, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-020-00370-6, 2021.
Reinosch, E., Buckel, J., Dong, J., Gerke, M., Baade, J., and Riedel, B.: InSAR time series analysis of seasonal surface displacement dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau, The Cryosphere, 14, 1633–1650, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-1633-2020, 2020.
Riley, S. J., Degloria, S. D., and Elliot, R.: Index that quantifies topographic heterogeneity, Int. J. Sci., 5, 23–27, 1999.
Sannel, A. B. K.: Ground temperature and snow depth variability within a subarctic peat plateau landscape, Permafrost Periglac., 31, 255–263, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2045, 2020.
Sannel, A. B. K. and Kuhry, P.: Warming-induced destabilization of peat plateau/thermokarst lake complexes, J. Geophys. Res., 116, G03035, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JG001635, 2011.
Sannel, A. B. K., Hugelius, G., Jansson, P., and Kuhry, P.: Permafrost Warming in a Subarctic Peatland – Which Meteorological Controls are Most Important?, Permafrost Periglac., 27, 177–188, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1862, 2016.
Schuur, E. A. G., Vogel, J. G., Crummer, K. G., Lee, H., Sickman, J. O., and Osterkamp, T. E.: The effect of permafrost thaw on old carbon release and net carbon exchange from tundra, Nature, 459, 556–559, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08031, 2009.
Seppälä, M.: Synthesis of studies of palsa formation underlining the importance of local environmental and physical characteristics, Quaternary Res., 75, 366–370, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2010.09.007, 2011.
Siewert, M. B.: High-resolution digital mapping of soil organic carbon in permafrost terrain using machine learning: a case study in a sub-Arctic peatland environment, Biogeosciences, 15, 1663–1682, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1663-2018, 2018.
Sjöberg, Y., Siewert, M. B., Rudy, A. C. A., Paquette, M., Bouchard, F., Malenfant-Lepage, J., and Fritz, M.: Hot trends and impact in permafrost science, Permafrost Periglac., 31, 461–471, 2020.
Short, N., LeBlanc, A.-M., Sladen, W., Oldenborger, G., Mathon-Dufour, V., and Brisco, B.: RADARSAT-2 D-InSAR for ground displacement in permafrost terrain, validation from Iqaluit Airport, Baffin Island, Canada, Remote Sen. Environ., 141, 40–51, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2013.10.016, 2014.
SMHI: Download Meteorological observations, Retrieved from https://www.smhi.se/data/meteorologi/ladda-ner-meteorologiska-observationer#param=airtemperatureInstant,stations=core,stationid=191910 (last access: 10 January 2024), 2022.
Smith, M. W. and Riseborough, D. W.: Permafrost monitoring and detection of climate change, Permafrost Periglac., 7, 301–309, https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1530(199610)7:4<301::AID-PPP231>3.0.CO;2-R, 1996.
Smith, S. L, O'Neill, H. B., Isaksen, K., Noetzli, J., and Romanovsky, V. E.: The changing thermal state of permafrost, Nat. Rev. Earth Environ., 3, 10–23, 2022.
Sowter, A., Bateson, L., Strange, P., Ambrose, K., and Syafiudin, M. F.: DInSAR estimation of land motion using intermittent coherence with application to the South Derbyshire and Leicestershire coalfields, Remote Sens. Lett., 4, 979–987, 2013.
Sowter, A., Bin Che Amat, M., Cigna, F., Marsh, S., Athab, A., and Alshammari, L.: Mexico City land subsidence in 2014–2015 with Sentinel-1 IW TOPS: Results using the Intermittent SBAS (ISBAS) technique, Int. J. Appl. Earth. Obs., 52, 230–242, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2016.06.015, 2016.
Swingedouw, D., Ifejika Speranza, C., Bartsch, A., Durand, G., Jamet, C., Beaugrand, G., and Conversi, A.: Early Warning from Space for a Few Key Tipping Points in Physical, Biological, and Social-Ecological Systems, Surv. Geophys., 41, 1237–1284, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-020-09604-6, 2020.
Tarnocai, C., Canadell, J. G., Schuur, E. A. G., Kuhry, P., Mazhitova, G., and Zimov, S.: Soil organic carbon pools in the northern circumpolar permafrost region, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 23, GB2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GB003327, 2009.
Torres, R., Snoeij, P., Geudtner, D., Bibby, D., Davidson, M., Attema, E., Potin, P., Rommen, B., Floury, N., Brown, M., Traver, I. N., Deghaye, P., Duesmann, B., Rosich, B., Miranda, N., Bruno, C., L'Abbate, M., Croci, R., Pietropaolo, A., and Rostan, F.: GMES Sentinel-1 mission, Remote Sens. Environ., 120, 9–24, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2011.05.028, 2012.
Turetsky, M. R., Abbott, B. W., Jones, M. C., Anthony, K. W., Olefeldt, D., Schuur, E. A. G., Grosse, G., Kuhry, P., Hugelius, G., Koven, C., Lawrence, D. M., Gibson, C., Sannel, A. B. K., and McGuire, A. D.: Carbon release through abrupt permafrost thaw, Nat. Geosci., 13, 138–143, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0526-0, 2020.
Vallée, S. and Payette, S.: Collapse of permafrost mounds along a subarctic river over the last 100 years (northern Québec), Geomorphology, 90, 162–170, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2007.01.019, 2007.
Valman, S.: SamValman/Permafrost_Sweden: InSAR-measured permafrost degradation of palsa peatlands in northern Sweden Github Repo (v1.0.0), Zenodo [code], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10891198, 2024a.
Valman, S.: InSAR measured permafrost degradation of palsa peatlands in northern Sweden Datasets, In The Cryosphere, Zenodo [data set], https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10891489, 2024b.
van Huissteden, J., Teshebaeva, K., Cheung, Y., Magnússon, R. Í., Noorbergen, H., Karsanaev, S. V., Maximov, T. C., and Dolman, A. J.: Geomorphology and InSAR-Tracked Surface Displacements in an Ice-Rich Yedoma Landscape, Front Earth Sci., 9, ISSN 2296-6463, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.680565, 2021.
Varner, R. K., Crill, P. M., Frolking, S., McCalley, C. K., Burke, S. A., Chanton, J. P., Holmes, M. E., Saleska, S., and Palace, M. W.: Permafrost thaw driven changes in hydrology and vegetation cover increase trace gas emissions and climate forcing in Stordalen Mire from 1970 to 2014, Philos T. Roy. Soc. A, 380, 6223–6244, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0022, 2022.
Vikhamar-Schuler, D., Isaksen, K., Haugen, J. E., Tømmervik, H., Luks, B., Schuler, T. V., and Bjerke, J. W.: Changes in Winter Warming Events in the Nordic Arctic Region, J. Climate, 29, 6223–6244, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-15-0763.1, 2016.
Virtanen, P.: Gommers, R., Oliphant, T. E., Haberland, M., Reddy, T., Cournapeau, D., Burovski, E., Peterson, P., Weckesser, W., and Bright, J.: SciPy 1.0: fundamental algorithms for scientific computing in Python, Nat. Methods, 17, 261–272, 2020.
Vorren, K.-D.: The first permafrost cycle in Færdesmyra, eastern Finnmark, Norway, Norsk Geogr. Tidsskr., 71, 114–121, https://doi.org/10.1080/00291951.2017.1316309, 2017.
Zuidhoff, F. S.: Recent decay of a single palsa in relation to weather conditions between 1996 and 2000 in Laivadalen, northern Sweden, Geogr. Ann. A, 84A, 103–111, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0435-3676.2002.00164.x, 2002.
Zuidhoff, F. S. and Kolstrup, E.: Changes in palsa distribution in relation to climate change in Laivadalen, northern Sweden, especially 1960–1997, Permafrost Periglac., 11, 55–69, 2000.
Short summary
Climate warming is thawing permafrost that makes up palsa (frost mound) peatlands, risking ecosystem collapse and carbon release as methane. We measure this regional degradation using radar satellite technology to examine ground elevation changes and show how terrain roughness measurements can be used to estimate local permafrost damage. We find that over half of Sweden's largest palsa peatlands are degrading, with the worse impacts to the north linked to increased winter precipitation.
Climate warming is thawing permafrost that makes up palsa (frost mound) peatlands, risking...
