12:00 PM - 12:15 PM
[MIS05-12] Glacier area changes in Novaya Zemlya (Russian Arctic) from 1961 to 2023 using satellite images.
Keywords:Novaya Zemlya , remote sensing, rate of glacier retreat , climate change
Climate change has had a significant impact on glacier recession, particularly in the Arctic, where glacier meltwater is an important contributor to global sea-level rise. Therefore, it is important to accurately quantify glacier recession within this sensitive region, using available open-source space information.
In this study, we mapped 729 glaciers in Novaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic, using remote-sensing data: Corona (1961-1962), Landsat-7 ETM+ (2001), Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS (2013) and Sentinel-2A/B (2023).
In 1961, the total glacierized region of Novaya Zemlya was 24 107 ± 548 sq km, in 2001 the area was 22 914 ± 350 sq km, in 2013 – 22 279±335 sq km and by 2023 the glacier area was reduced to 21 702 ± 108 sq km. This is 90,0% of the area in 1961.
The rate of glacier retreat was not constant. From 1961 to 2001 glaciation of Novaya Zemlya was decreasing at an average rate of 29.8 sq km/year, with 2001 to 2013 – at a speed of 52.9 sq km/year. And for the last period from 2013 to 2023 the rate of reduction of Novaya Zemlya glaciers reached 57.7 sq km/year. The ice sheet has shrunk by 8.1% since 1961. South of latitude 74.5° the degradation pattern looks different. The total reduction in area at a given area is significantly higher and amounts to 33.26%.
These changes in glacier area were not constant across glacier terminus type (land-, lake- and marine terminating). From 1961 to 2023, land-terminating glaciers lost 1 059 sq km (4,4%), lake-terminating glaciers lost 260 sq km (1,1%), and marine-terminating glaciers lost 1 088 sq km (4,5%) of glacierized area.
Our observations show that glaciers terminating on the Barents Sea coast of Novaya Zemlya retreated faster than glaciers terminating on the Kara Sea coast, a pattern that remains consistent across glacier terminus type. Barents Sea glaciers lost a total area of 1526 sq km (6,3%) between 1961 and 2023, while glaciers on the Kara Sea lost 877 sq km (3,6%). All three types of glaciers: lake-, marine-, and landterminating have lost more or as much glacier area from 2001 to 2023 than 1961 to 2001.
This research allowed for a comprehensive analysis of the changes that occurred in Novaya Zemlya glaciers between 1961 and 2023. Over this time period, glaciers in Novaya Zemlya lost a total area of 2 405 sq km (10.0%), with some glaciers disappearing entirely. The results clearly demonstrate that all glaciers in Novaya Zemlya are responding to the impacts of climatic warming in the Arctic. Our analysis indicates there are regional variations in how glaciers are responding to oceanic warming in this part of the Arctic, with more loss observed from glaciers that terminate on the Barents Sea side of Novaya Zemlya compared to those that terminate on the Kara Sea side.
In this study, we mapped 729 glaciers in Novaya Zemlya, Russian Arctic, using remote-sensing data: Corona (1961-1962), Landsat-7 ETM+ (2001), Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS (2013) and Sentinel-2A/B (2023).
In 1961, the total glacierized region of Novaya Zemlya was 24 107 ± 548 sq km, in 2001 the area was 22 914 ± 350 sq km, in 2013 – 22 279±335 sq km and by 2023 the glacier area was reduced to 21 702 ± 108 sq km. This is 90,0% of the area in 1961.
The rate of glacier retreat was not constant. From 1961 to 2001 glaciation of Novaya Zemlya was decreasing at an average rate of 29.8 sq km/year, with 2001 to 2013 – at a speed of 52.9 sq km/year. And for the last period from 2013 to 2023 the rate of reduction of Novaya Zemlya glaciers reached 57.7 sq km/year. The ice sheet has shrunk by 8.1% since 1961. South of latitude 74.5° the degradation pattern looks different. The total reduction in area at a given area is significantly higher and amounts to 33.26%.
These changes in glacier area were not constant across glacier terminus type (land-, lake- and marine terminating). From 1961 to 2023, land-terminating glaciers lost 1 059 sq km (4,4%), lake-terminating glaciers lost 260 sq km (1,1%), and marine-terminating glaciers lost 1 088 sq km (4,5%) of glacierized area.
Our observations show that glaciers terminating on the Barents Sea coast of Novaya Zemlya retreated faster than glaciers terminating on the Kara Sea coast, a pattern that remains consistent across glacier terminus type. Barents Sea glaciers lost a total area of 1526 sq km (6,3%) between 1961 and 2023, while glaciers on the Kara Sea lost 877 sq km (3,6%). All three types of glaciers: lake-, marine-, and landterminating have lost more or as much glacier area from 2001 to 2023 than 1961 to 2001.
This research allowed for a comprehensive analysis of the changes that occurred in Novaya Zemlya glaciers between 1961 and 2023. Over this time period, glaciers in Novaya Zemlya lost a total area of 2 405 sq km (10.0%), with some glaciers disappearing entirely. The results clearly demonstrate that all glaciers in Novaya Zemlya are responding to the impacts of climatic warming in the Arctic. Our analysis indicates there are regional variations in how glaciers are responding to oceanic warming in this part of the Arctic, with more loss observed from glaciers that terminate on the Barents Sea side of Novaya Zemlya compared to those that terminate on the Kara Sea side.