New mapping tool to monitor trends in permafrost landform change across the Arctic

Permafrost (from “perpetual” and “frost”) is ground that remains continuously below 0°C for at least two consecutive years. Approximately 15% of the Northern Hemisphere’s land surface is under permafrost, which contains biomass that has accumulated over thousands of years and is often preserved, acting as a carbon sink.

The amount of carbon stored in permafrost is four times the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere by modern human activities (Canadian Geographic, 2018). As frozen soil thaws, the decomposition of organic matter by microorganisms releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide or methane, contributing to global warming and further accelerating global permafrost thaw.

Land surface changes associated with permafrost thaw include accelerated erosion of Arctic coasts, increased thaw decline in foothills, drainage and lake formation, and intensified terrestrial disturbances such as forest fires and droughts. included.

Thermal erosion threatens infrastructure by causing scree, cave-ins, and even landslides. There is a lack of information about where in the Arctic these changes in permafrost stability are occurring and how important they are for land and infrastructure management.

Many communities living in areas with permafrost know first-hand the local problems with erosion and thawing subsidence. However, until now, Arctic communities have not received spatially clear information about recent or ongoing snowmelt and erosion at broad scales, and how existing and future planned infrastructure development is changing. We were unable to obtain important information about what is threatened. This information is essential for better management, planning, decision-making, improved safety, and more targeted local responses in Arctic communities, as well as providing scientists with critical information on development. It will also be.

Arctic PASSION recently unveiled the Arctic Landscape EXplorer (ALEX). It includes data at 30 meter resolution on satellite-derived trends in surface change across the Arctic permafrost region for 20 years from 2003 to 2022. This tool has an easy-to-use and well-illustrated map interface and was developed specifically for non-specialists to meet the information needs of local Arctic communities living in permafrost regions.

The work is published in a diary pangea.

The tool includes a localized view of the information provided and a storytelling component, and portions of the website will soon be available in multiple Arctic languages. Consultations with local representatives and Alaska State stakeholders were aimed at ensuring that practical information needs were met.

“Dozens of lakes in Alaska have disappeared in recent years. The lakes were used as a source of fresh water for villages, forcing communities to find alternative sources. This individual example “It shows how communities living on the ground are directly affected by rapid change on their land,” says researcher Tilman Lubker.

ALEX is part of Arctic PASSION’s Permafrost Service. It is a satellite image-derived map product that displays changes in permafrost thaw at 30 m resolution on a pan-Arctic scale, and reliably detects regional disturbances such as coastal erosion, lake drainage, and thermokarst. It has a function to evaluate the Lake expansion, infrastructure expansion, retrograde snowmelt stagnation, tundra fires, fire scars, and the potential for changes over time.