Articles | Volume 19, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-1103-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-19-1103-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
11 Mar 2025
Research article |
| 11 Mar 2025
| 11 Mar 2025
InSAR-derived seasonal subsidence reflects spatial soil moisture patterns in Arctic lowland permafrost regions
Barbara Widhalm
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
b.geos, Industriestrasse 1, 2100 Korneuburg, Austria
Austrian Polar Research Institute, c/o Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
Annett Bartsch
b.geos, Industriestrasse 1, 2100 Korneuburg, Austria
Austrian Polar Research Institute, c/o Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
Tazio Strozzi
Gamma Remote Sensing, Gümligen, Switzerland
Nina Jones
Gamma Remote Sensing, Gümligen, Switzerland
Artem Khomutov
Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RAS, Tyumen, Russia
Elena Babkina
Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RAS, Tyumen, Russia
Marina Leibman
Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RAS, Tyumen, Russia
Rustam Khairullin
b.geos, Industriestrasse 1, 2100 Korneuburg, Austria
Mathias Göckede
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
Helena Bergstedt
b.geos, Industriestrasse 1, 2100 Korneuburg, Austria
Austrian Polar Research Institute, c/o Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
Clemens von Baeckmann
b.geos, Industriestrasse 1, 2100 Korneuburg, Austria
Austrian Polar Research Institute, c/o Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
Xaver Muri
b.geos, Industriestrasse 1, 2100 Korneuburg, Austria
Austrian Polar Research Institute, c/o Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
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Martijn M. T. A. Pallandt, Jitendra Kumar, Marguerite Mauritz, Edward A. G. Schuur, Anna-Maria Virkkala, Gerardo Celis, Forrest M. Hoffman, and Mathias Göckede
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The effects of climate warming on carbon cycling across the Arctic–boreal zone (ABZ) remain poorly understood due to the relatively limited distribution of ABZ flux sites. Fortunately, this flux network is constantly increasing, but new measurements are published in various platforms, making it challenging to understand the ABZ carbon cycle as a whole. Here, we compiled a new database of Arctic–boreal CO2 fluxes to help facilitate large-scale assessments of the ABZ carbon cycle.
Torben Windirsch, Guido Grosse, Mathias Ulrich, Bruce C. Forbes, Mathias Göckede, Juliane Wolter, Marc Macias-Fauria, Johan Olofsson, Nikita Zimov, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2021-227, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2021-227, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
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With global warming, permafrost thaw and associated carbon release are of increasing importance. We examined how large herbivorous animals affect Arctic landscapes and how they might contribute to reduction of these emissions. We show that over a short timespan of roughly 25 years, these animals have already changed the vegetation and landscape. On pastures in a permafrost area in Siberia we found smaller thaw depth and higher carbon content than in surrounding non-pasture areas.
Kyle B. Delwiche, Sara Helen Knox, Avni Malhotra, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Gavin McNicol, Sarah Feron, Zutao Ouyang, Dario Papale, Carlo Trotta, Eleonora Canfora, You-Wei Cheah, Danielle Christianson, Ma. Carmelita R. Alberto, Pavel Alekseychik, Mika Aurela, Dennis Baldocchi, Sheel Bansal, David P. Billesbach, Gil Bohrer, Rosvel Bracho, Nina Buchmann, David I. Campbell, Gerardo Celis, Jiquan Chen, Weinan Chen, Housen Chu, Higo J. Dalmagro, Sigrid Dengel, Ankur R. Desai, Matteo Detto, Han Dolman, Elke Eichelmann, Eugenie Euskirchen, Daniela Famulari, Kathrin Fuchs, Mathias Goeckede, Sébastien Gogo, Mangaliso J. Gondwe, Jordan P. Goodrich, Pia Gottschalk, Scott L. Graham, Martin Heimann, Manuel Helbig, Carole Helfter, Kyle S. Hemes, Takashi Hirano, David Hollinger, Lukas Hörtnagl, Hiroki Iwata, Adrien Jacotot, Gerald Jurasinski, Minseok Kang, Kuno Kasak, John King, Janina Klatt, Franziska Koebsch, Ken W. Krauss, Derrick Y. F. Lai, Annalea Lohila, Ivan Mammarella, Luca Belelli Marchesini, Giovanni Manca, Jaclyn Hatala Matthes, Trofim Maximov, Lutz Merbold, Bhaskar Mitra, Timothy H. Morin, Eiko Nemitz, Mats B. Nilsson, Shuli Niu, Walter C. Oechel, Patricia Y. Oikawa, Keisuke Ono, Matthias Peichl, Olli Peltola, Michele L. Reba, Andrew D. Richardson, William Riley, Benjamin R. K. Runkle, Youngryel Ryu, Torsten Sachs, Ayaka Sakabe, Camilo Rey Sanchez, Edward A. Schuur, Karina V. R. Schäfer, Oliver Sonnentag, Jed P. Sparks, Ellen Stuart-Haëntjens, Cove Sturtevant, Ryan C. Sullivan, Daphne J. Szutu, Jonathan E. Thom, Margaret S. Torn, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Jessica Turner, Masahito Ueyama, Alex C. Valach, Rodrigo Vargas, Andrej Varlagin, Alma Vazquez-Lule, Joseph G. Verfaillie, Timo Vesala, George L. Vourlitis, Eric J. Ward, Christian Wille, Georg Wohlfahrt, Guan Xhuan Wong, Zhen Zhang, Donatella Zona, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Benjamin Poulter, and Robert B. Jackson
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 3607–3689, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3607-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3607-2021, 2021
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Methane is an important greenhouse gas, yet we lack knowledge about its global emissions and drivers. We present FLUXNET-CH4, a new global collection of methane measurements and a critical resource for the research community. We use FLUXNET-CH4 data to quantify the seasonality of methane emissions from freshwater wetlands, finding that methane seasonality varies strongly with latitude. Our new database and analysis will improve wetland model accuracy and inform greenhouse gas budgets.
Zhen Zhang, Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Katherine Jensen, Kyle McDonald, Gustaf Hugelius, Thomas Gumbricht, Mark Carroll, Catherine Prigent, Annett Bartsch, and Benjamin Poulter
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2001–2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2001-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2001-2021, 2021
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The spatiotemporal distribution of wetlands is one of the important and yet uncertain factors determining the time and locations of methane fluxes. The Wetland Area and Dynamics for Methane Modeling (WAD2M) dataset describes the global data product used to quantify the areal dynamics of natural wetlands and how global wetlands are changing in response to climate.
Alexander Savvichev, Igor Rusanov, Yury Dvornikov, Vitaly Kadnikov, Anna Kallistova, Elena Veslopolova, Antonina Chetverova, Marina Leibman, Pavel A. Sigalevich, Nikolay Pimenov, Nikolai Ravin, and Artem Khomutov
Biogeosciences, 18, 2791–2807, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2791-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2791-2021, 2021
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Microbial processes of the methane cycle were studied in four lakes of the central part of the Yamal Peninsula in an area of continuous permafrost: two large, deep lakes and two small and shallow ones. It was found that only small, shallow lakes contributed significantly to the overall diffusive methane emissions from the water surface during the warm summer season. The water column of large, deep lakes on Yamal acted as a microbial filter preventing methane emissions into the atmosphere.
Georg Pointner, Annett Bartsch, Yury A. Dvornikov, and Alexei V. Kouraev
The Cryosphere, 15, 1907–1929, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1907-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1907-2021, 2021
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This study presents strong new indications that regions of anomalously low backscatter in C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery of ice of Lake Neyto in northwestern Siberia are related to strong emissions of natural gas. Spatio-temporal dynamics and potential scattering and formation mechanisms are assessed. It is suggested that exploiting the spatial and temporal properties of Sentinel-1 SAR data may be beneficial for the identification of similar phenomena in other Arctic lakes.
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.
Michael Kern, Robert Cullen, Bruno Berruti, Jerome Bouffard, Tania Casal, Mark R. Drinkwater, Antonio Gabriele, Arnaud Lecuyot, Michael Ludwig, Rolv Midthassel, Ignacio Navas Traver, Tommaso Parrinello, Gerhard Ressler, Erik Andersson, Cristina Martin-Puig, Ole Andersen, Annett Bartsch, Sinead Farrell, Sara Fleury, Simon Gascoin, Amandine Guillot, Angelika Humbert, Eero Rinne, Andrew Shepherd, Michiel R. van den Broeke, and John Yackel
The Cryosphere, 14, 2235–2251, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2235-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2235-2020, 2020
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The Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter will provide high-resolution sea ice thickness and land ice elevation measurements and the capability to determine the properties of snow cover on ice to serve operational products and services of direct relevance to the polar regions. This paper describes the mission objectives, identifies the key contributions the CRISTAL mission will make, and presents a concept – as far as it is already defined – for the mission payload.
Tazio Strozzi, Dora Carreon-Freyre, and Urs Wegmüller
Proc. IAHS, 382, 179–182, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-179-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-179-2020, 2020
Luigi Tosi, Cristina Da Lio, Sandra Donnici, Tazio Strozzi, and Pietro Teatini
Proc. IAHS, 382, 689–695, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-689-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-382-689-2020, 2020
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The Venice coastland forms the major low-lying area in Italy and encompasses a variety of environments, such as farmlands, estuaries, deltas, lagoons and urbanized areas. Since most of the territory lies at a ground elevation below or slightly above the mean sea-level, also a few mm/yr of land subsidence can seriously impacts on the coastal system. In this study, we present an analysis of the vulnerability to relative sea-level rise (RSLR) considering an uneven land subsidence distribution.
Jaroslav Obu, Sebastian Westermann, Gonçalo Vieira, Andrey Abramov, Megan Ruby Balks, Annett Bartsch, Filip Hrbáček, Andreas Kääb, and Miguel Ramos
The Cryosphere, 14, 497–519, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-497-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-497-2020, 2020
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Little is known about permafrost in the Antarctic outside of the few research stations. We used a simple equilibrium permafrost model to estimate permafrost temperatures in the whole Antarctic. The lowest permafrost temperature on Earth is −36 °C in the Queen Elizabeth Range in the Transantarctic Mountains. Temperatures are commonly between −23 and −18 °C in mountainous areas rising above the Antarctic Ice Sheet, between −14 and −8 °C in coastal areas, and up to 0 °C on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Friedemann Reum, Mathias Göckede, Jost V. Lavric, Olaf Kolle, Sergey Zimov, Nikita Zimov, Martijn Pallandt, and Martin Heimann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 5717–5740, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5717-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-5717-2019, 2019
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We present continuous in situ measurements of atmospheric CO2 and CH4 mole fractions at the new station Ambarchik, located in northeastern Siberia. We describe the site, measurements and quality control, characterize the signals in comparison with data from Barrow, Alaska, and show which regions the measurements are sensitive to. Ambarchik data are available upon request.
Olli Peltola, Timo Vesala, Yao Gao, Olle Räty, Pavel Alekseychik, Mika Aurela, Bogdan Chojnicki, Ankur R. Desai, Albertus J. Dolman, Eugenie S. Euskirchen, Thomas Friborg, Mathias Göckede, Manuel Helbig, Elyn Humphreys, Robert B. Jackson, Georg Jocher, Fortunat Joos, Janina Klatt, Sara H. Knox, Natalia Kowalska, Lars Kutzbach, Sebastian Lienert, Annalea Lohila, Ivan Mammarella, Daniel F. Nadeau, Mats B. Nilsson, Walter C. Oechel, Matthias Peichl, Thomas Pypker, William Quinton, Janne Rinne, Torsten Sachs, Mateusz Samson, Hans Peter Schmid, Oliver Sonnentag, Christian Wille, Donatella Zona, and Tuula Aalto
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 11, 1263–1289, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-1263-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-11-1263-2019, 2019
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Here we develop a monthly gridded dataset of northern (> 45 N) wetland methane (CH4) emissions. The data product is derived using a random forest machine-learning technique and eddy covariance CH4 fluxes from 25 wetland sites. Annual CH4 emissions from these wetlands calculated from the derived data product are comparable to prior studies focusing on these areas. This product is an independent estimate of northern wetland CH4 emissions and hence could be used, e.g. for process model evaluation.
Mathias Göckede, Fanny Kittler, and Carsten Schaller
Biogeosciences, 16, 3113–3131, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3113-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3113-2019, 2019
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Methane is one of the most important greenhouse gases. Methane emissions from land sources to the atmosphere often occur in the form of short but intense outbursts, which are difficult to measure. We developed a new software tool based on wavelets which reliably quantifies such methane outbursts. Using these results as a reference, our study shows that regular data processing using the eddy-covariance technique provides solid long-term methane budgets, but short-term uncertainties can be high.
Norman Rößger, Christian Wille, David Holl, Mathias Göckede, and Lars Kutzbach
Biogeosciences, 16, 2591–2615, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2591-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2591-2019, 2019
Carsten Schaller, Fanny Kittler, Thomas Foken, and Mathias Göckede
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 4041–4059, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4041-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-4041-2019, 2019
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Methane emissions from biogenic sources, e.g. Arctic permafrost ecosystems, are associated with uncertainties due to the high variability of fluxes in both space and time. Besides the traditional eddy covariance method, we evaluated a method based on wavelet analysis, which does not require a stationary time series, to calculate fluxes. The occurrence of extreme methane flux events was strongly correlated with the soil temperature. They were triggered by atmospheric non-turbulent mixing.
Cristian Scapozza, Christian Ambrosi, Massimiliano Cannata, and Tazio Strozzi
Geogr. Helv., 74, 125–139, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-74-125-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gh-74-125-2019, 2019
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A glacial lake outburst flood hazard assessment by satellite Earth observation and numerical modelling was done for the lakes linked to the Thangothang Chhu glacier, Chomolhari area (Bhutan), combining detailed geomorphological mapping, landslide and rock glacier inventories, as well as surface displacements quantified by satellite InSAR. Outburst scenario modelling revealed that only a flood wave can have an impact on the two human settlements located downslope of the glacier.
Friedemann Reum, Christoph Gerbig, Jost V. Lavric, Chris W. Rella, and Mathias Göckede
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 12, 1013–1027, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1013-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-12-1013-2019, 2019
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Atmospheric CO2 and CH4 mole fractions are often measured using greenhouse gas analyzers manufactured by Picarro, Inc. We report biases in these measurements that are related to pressure changes in the optical cavity of the analyzers and occur mainly at low water vapor mole fractions. We provide a method to correct the biases, which contributes to keeping the overall accuracy of CO2 and CH4 measurements with Picarro analyzers within the WMO interlaboratory compatibility goals.
Nico Mölg, Tobias Bolch, Philipp Rastner, Tazio Strozzi, and Frank Paul
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 1807–1827, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1807-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1807-2018, 2018
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Knowledge about the size and location of glaciers is essential to understand impacts of climatic changes on the natural environment. Therefore, we have produced an inventory of all glaciers in some of the largest glacierized mountain regions worldwide. Many large glaciers are covered by a rock (debris) layer, which also changes their reaction to climatic changes. Thus, we have also mapped this debris layer for all glaciers. We have mapped almost 28000 glaciers covering ~35000 km2.
Christine Kroisleitner, Annett Bartsch, and Helena Bergstedt
The Cryosphere, 12, 2349–2370, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2349-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-2349-2018, 2018
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Knowledge about permafrost extent is required with respect to climate change. We used borehole temperature records from across the Arctic for the assessment of surface status information (frozen or unfrozen) derived from space-borne microwave sensors for permafrost extent mapping. The comparison to mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) at the coldest sensor depth revealed that not only extent but also temperature can be obtained from C-band-derived surface state with a residual error of 2.22 °C.
Karel Castro-Morales, Thomas Kleinen, Sonja Kaiser, Sönke Zaehle, Fanny Kittler, Min Jung Kwon, Christian Beer, and Mathias Göckede
Biogeosciences, 15, 2691–2722, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2691-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2691-2018, 2018
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We present year-round methane emissions from wetlands in Northeast Siberia that were simulated with a land surface model. Ground-based flux measurements from the same area were used for evaluation of the model results, finding a best agreement with the observations in the summertime emissions that take place in this region predominantly through plants. During winter, methane emissions through the snow contribute 4 % of the total annual methane budget, but these are still underestimated.
Mathias Göckede, Fanny Kittler, Min Jung Kwon, Ina Burjack, Martin Heimann, Olaf Kolle, Nikita Zimov, and Sergey Zimov
The Cryosphere, 11, 2975–2996, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2975-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-2975-2017, 2017
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Shifts in hydrologic conditions will be a key factor for the sustainability of Arctic ecosystems under future climate change. Using a long-term manipulation experiment, we analyzed how energy exchange processes within a permafrost ecosystem react to sustained dry conditions. Changes in several important ecosystem characteristics lead to reduced evapotranspiration and increased sensible heat fluxes. Heat transfer into the soil was strongly reduced, keeping the permafrost colder.
Sarah E. Chadburn, Gerhard Krinner, Philipp Porada, Annett Bartsch, Christian Beer, Luca Belelli Marchesini, Julia Boike, Altug Ekici, Bo Elberling, Thomas Friborg, Gustaf Hugelius, Margareta Johansson, Peter Kuhry, Lars Kutzbach, Moritz Langer, Magnus Lund, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Shushi Peng, Ko Van Huissteden, Tao Wang, Sebastian Westermann, Dan Zhu, and Eleanor J. Burke
Biogeosciences, 14, 5143–5169, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5143-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5143-2017, 2017
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Earth system models (ESMs) are our main tools for understanding future climate. The Arctic is important for the future carbon cycle, particularly due to the large carbon stocks in permafrost. We evaluated the performance of the land component of three major ESMs at Arctic tundra sites, focusing on the fluxes and stocks of carbon.
We show that the next steps for model improvement are to better represent vegetation dynamics, to include mosses and to improve below-ground carbon cycle processes.
Friedemann Reum, Christoph Gerbig, Jost V. Lavric, Chris W. Rella, and Mathias Göckede
Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2017-174, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2017-174, 2017
Revised manuscript not accepted
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High-accuracy observations of atmospheric CO2 and CH4 levels, which are vital for quantifying sources and sinks of these gases, are often obtained using Picarro greenhouse gas analyzers. These require a correction for the effects of water vapor. We report biases in CO2 and CH4 levels obtained using the traditional water correction for Picarro analyzers related to pressure changes in the optical cavity and mainly affecting measurements at low water vapor mole fractions, and how to correct them.
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
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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.
Carsten Schaller, Mathias Göckede, and Thomas Foken
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 869–880, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-869-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-869-2017, 2017
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The eddy covariance (EC) method allows for measuring and calculating vertical turbulent exchange fluxes between ecosystems and the atmosphere. It fails in non-steady-state flow conditions, e.g. in Arctic regions. Two alternative calculation methods, conditional sampling and wavelet analysis, were implemented and compared to EC. Wavelet analysis for allows calculating a trustworthy flux even in non-stationary times and offers new possibilities for exact flux calculation in difficult environments.
Tazio Strozzi, Andreas Kääb, and Thomas Schellenberger
The Cryosphere, 11, 553–566, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-553-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-553-2017, 2017
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The strong atmospheric warming observed since the 1990s in polar regions requires quantifying the contribution to sea level rise of glaciers and ice caps, but for large areas we do not have much information on ice dynamic fluctuations. The recent increase in satellite data opens up new possibilities to monitor ice flow. We observed over Stonebreen on Edgeøya (Svalbard) a strong increase since 2012 in ice surface velocity along with a decrease in volume and an advance in frontal extension.
Barbara Widhalm, Annett Bartsch, Marina Leibman, and Artem Khomutov
The Cryosphere, 11, 483–496, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-483-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-483-2017, 2017
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The active layer above the permafrost, which seasonally thaws during summer, is an important parameter for monitoring the state of permafrost. Its thickness is typically measured locally. The relationship between active-layer thickness (ALT) and X-band SAR backscatter of TerraSAR-X has been investigated in order to explore the possibility of delineating ALT with continuous and larger spatial coverage.
Sonja Kaiser, Mathias Göckede, Karel Castro-Morales, Christian Knoblauch, Altug Ekici, Thomas Kleinen, Sebastian Zubrzycki, Torsten Sachs, Christian Wille, and Christian Beer
Geosci. Model Dev., 10, 333–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-333-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-333-2017, 2017
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A new consistent, process-based methane module that is integrated with permafrost processes is presented. It was developed within a global land surface scheme and evaluated at a polygonal tundra site in Samoylov, Russia. The calculated methane emissions show fair agreement with field data and capture detailed differences between the explicitly modelled gas transport processes and in the gas dynamics under varying soil water and temperature conditions during seasons and on different microsites.
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
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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.
Fanny Kittler, Ina Burjack, Chiara A. R. Corradi, Martin Heimann, Olaf Kolle, Lutz Merbold, Nikita Zimov, Sergey Zimov, and Mathias Göckede
Biogeosciences, 13, 5315–5332, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5315-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5315-2016, 2016
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We compared growing season CO2 fluxes of a wet tussock tundra ecosystem from an area affected by decadal drainage and an undisturbed area on the Kolyma floodplain in northeastern Siberia. The results show systematically reduced CO2 uptake within the drained area, caused by increased respiration, and that the local permafrost ecosystem is capable of adapting to significantly different hydrologic conditions without losing its capacity to act as a net sink for CO2.
Min Jung Kwon, Martin Heimann, Olaf Kolle, Kristina A. Luus, Edward A. G. Schuur, Nikita Zimov, Sergey A. Zimov, and Mathias Göckede
Biogeosciences, 13, 4219–4235, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4219-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4219-2016, 2016
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A decade-long drainage on an Arctic floodplain has altered dominant plant species and soil temperature regimes. Consequently, CO2 exchange rates between the atmosphere and the terrestrial ecosystem were modified: CO2 uptake rates by the terrestrial ecosystem decreased and CO2 emission rates to the atmosphere increased. Ongoing global warming may thaw ice-rich permafrost and make some regions drier in the Arctic, and this will reduce carbon accumulation in the terrestrial ecosystem.
Klaus Haslinger and Annett Bartsch
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 1211–1223, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1211-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-1211-2016, 2016
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Gridded fields of daily max. and min. temperatures for the Austrian domain are used to calculate ET0 based on a re-calibrated Hargreaves method. Newly derived, station-based calibration parameters, with Penman–Monteith ET0 as a reference, show a distinct altitude and seasonal dependence. Theses features are used to interpolate the new calibration values in space and time onto the temperature grids. The ET0 is then calculated based on the entire gridded temperature data starting back in 1961.
L. Tosi, T. Strozzi, C. Da Lio, and P. Teatini
Proc. IAHS, 372, 199–205, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-372-199-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-372-199-2015, 2015
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Eighty regular TerraSAR-X acquisitions over the 2008-2011 period significantly improve the subsidence monitoring at the Venice coastland. Settlements of 30-35 mm/yr have been detected at the three lagoon inlets in correspondence of the MoSE works. The Venice and Chioggia historical centers show local sinking bowls up to 10 mm/yr connected with the construction of new large buildings or restoration works. In the city of Venice, the mean subsidence of 1.1±1.0 mm/yr confirms its general stability.
I. Beck, R. Ludwig, M. Bernier, T. Strozzi, and J. Boike
Earth Surf. Dynam., 3, 409–421, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-409-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-3-409-2015, 2015
M. Schäfer, F. Gillet-Chaulet, R. Gladstone, R. Pettersson, V. A. Pohjola, T. Strozzi, and T. Zwinger
The Cryosphere, 8, 1951–1973, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1951-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1951-2014, 2014
R. Gladstone, M. Schäfer, T. Zwinger, Y. Gong, T. Strozzi, R. Mottram, F. Boberg, and J. C. Moore
The Cryosphere, 8, 1393–1405, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1393-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-8-1393-2014, 2014
I. Gouttevin, A. Bartsch, G. Krinner, and V. Naeimi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-11241-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-11241-2013, 2013
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Related subject area
Discipline: Frozen ground | Subject: Remote Sensing
Benchmarking passive-microwave-satellite-derived freeze–thaw datasets
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
Multiple modes of shoreline change along the Alaskan Beaufort Sea observed using ICESat-2 altimetry and satellite imagery
Allometric scaling of retrogressive thaw slumps
Brief communication: Identification of tundra topsoil frozen/thawed state from SMAP and GCOM-W1 radiometer measurements using the spectral gradient method
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
Annett Bartsch, Xaver Muri, Markus Hetzenecker, Kimmo Rautiainen, Helena Bergstedt, Jan Wuite, Thomas Nagler, and Dmitry Nicolsky
The Cryosphere, 19, 459–483, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-459-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-459-2025, 2025
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We developed a robust freeze–thaw detection approach, applying a constant threshold to 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 the seasons, particularly during the spring and autumn transition.
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).
Marnie B. Bryant, Adrian A. Borsa, Claire C. Masteller, Roger J. Michaelides, Matthew R. Siegfried, Adam P. Young, and Eric J. Anderson
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1656, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1656, 2024
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We measure shoreline change across a 7-km stretch of coastline on the Alaskan Beaufort Sea Coast between 2019–2022 using multispectral imagery from Planet and satellite altimetry from ICESat-2. We find that shoreline change rates are high and variable, and that different shoreline types show distinct patterns of change in shoreline position and topography. We discuss how the observed changes may be driven by both time-varying ocean and air conditions and spatial variations in morphology.
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.
Konstantin Muzalevskiy, Zdenek Ruzicka, Alexandre Roy, Michael Loranty, and Alexander Vasiliev
The Cryosphere, 17, 4155–4164, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4155-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4155-2023, 2023
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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.
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
Mapping soil moisture in Arctic permafrost regions is crucial for various activities, but it is challenging with typical satellite methods due to the landscape's diversity. Seasonal freezing and thawing cause the ground to periodically rise and subside. Our research demonstrates that this seasonal ground settlement, measured with Sentinel-1 satellite data, is larger in areas with wetter soils. This method helps to monitor permafrost degradation.
Mapping soil moisture in Arctic permafrost regions is crucial for various activities, but it is...
