[HTT14-05] Permafrost environment in Kongsfjord, Svalbard, from the viewpoint of topography and vegetation change
Keywords:Permafrost thawing, Arctic environment, Ny-Alesund, Remote Sensing
Global warming is considered as the main reason for the recent dramatic changes in the Arctic environment. The thawing of permafrost due to global warming has been attracting special attention. Changes in permafrost cause damage to properties of residents and infrastructure. Warming also leads to vegetation expansion and changes in the albedo and the ecosystems. Released greenhouse gases from thawed permafrost into the atmosphere are believed to accelerate warming.
This study deals with changes in the permafrost environment of Kongsfjord, the Svalbard archipelago. We used WorldView-2 and Sentinel-2 satellite images, aerial orthophotos provided by the Norwegian Polar Institute, and data from a field survey in October 2019 to detect topographic and vegetation changes. Various forms of slope erosion including collapses were observed at 33 points. Most of them occur in front of glaciers, indicating that areas devoid of ice have been expanding and meltwater has been increasing with the retreat of glaciers. Vegetated areas also expanded in some places. These observations support the view that environmental changes in Svalbard have been accelerating.
This study deals with changes in the permafrost environment of Kongsfjord, the Svalbard archipelago. We used WorldView-2 and Sentinel-2 satellite images, aerial orthophotos provided by the Norwegian Polar Institute, and data from a field survey in October 2019 to detect topographic and vegetation changes. Various forms of slope erosion including collapses were observed at 33 points. Most of them occur in front of glaciers, indicating that areas devoid of ice have been expanding and meltwater has been increasing with the retreat of glaciers. Vegetated areas also expanded in some places. These observations support the view that environmental changes in Svalbard have been accelerating.