Quantifying retrogressive thaw slump mass wasting and carbon mobilisation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using multi-modal remote sensing

Maier, Kathrin; Xia, Zhuoxuan; Liu, Lin; Lara, Mark J.; van der Sluijs, Jurjen; Bernhard, Philipp; Hajnsek, Irena

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4855-2025

Articles | Volume 19, issue 10

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4855-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4855-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 19, issue 10

Research article

|

22 Oct 2025

Research article |

| 22 Oct 2025

Quantifying retrogressive thaw slump mass wasting and carbon mobilisation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using multi-modal remote sensing

Kathrin Maier, Zhuoxuan Xia, Lin Liu, Mark J. Lara, Jurjen van der Sluijs, Philipp Bernhard, and Irena Hajnsek

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-4855-2025-supplement

Data sets

Dataset for Quantifying Retrogressive Thaw Slump Mass Wasting and Carbon Mobilisation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Using Multi-Modal Remote Sensing Kathrin Maier https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000735734

Model code and software

kathrinmaier/qtp-rts-mass-wasting: Code for publication in The Cryosphere (v.0.0.1) Kathrin Maier https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17375814

Short summary

Our study explores how thawing permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau triggers landslides, mobilising stored carbon. Using satellite data from 2011 to 2020, we measured soil erosion, ice loss, and carbon mobilisation. While current impacts are modest, increasing landslide activity suggests future significance. This research underscores the need to understand permafrost thaw's role in carbon dynamics and climate change.