Article
Geography, Physical
Diego Cusicanqui, Xavier Bodin, Pierre-Allain Duvillard, Philippe Schoeneich, Andre Revil, Alain Assier, Johan Berthet, Michel Peyron, Stephane Roudnitska, Antoine Rabatel
Summary: This study examines the long-term dynamics of the Chauvet glacial and periglacial system in the southern French Alps, specifically focusing on lake outburst floods. Through a multidisciplinary approach, including photogrammetry, geophysical surveys, and geomorphological mapping, the study reveals the spatial and functional interactions between glacial and periglacial features, particularly in the lower sector. The findings highlight the highest thinning rates in ice-rich terrain and an overall acceleration of landform creeping after the 2000s, with the water flowing through a conduit influenced by lateral convergence and ice melting.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
F. Costard, L. Dupeyrat, A. Sejourne, F. Bouchard, A. Fedorov, B. Saint-Bezar
Summary: In the ice-rich permafrost of the Arctic regions, thermokarst erosion induces the formation of large-scale retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS) on slopes, which have significant geomorphological, hydrological, and biogeochemical impacts on the landscape. Research suggests that the melting of ground ice settings such as ice wedges and icy layers can lead to different impacts on frozen soil structure, with the melting of icy layers causing a loss of cohesion in the overlapping frozen soil structure.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Scott L. Painter, Ethan T. Coon, Ahmad Jan Khattak, Julie D. Jastrow
Summary: We used a soil ice content model to study the potential risk of abrupt permafrost thaw triggered by melting ground ice in a warming Arctic. Simulations of a specific site in Alaska showed subsidence of 63 cm from 2006 to 2100 in a strong-warming climate scenario. The increase in active layer thickness due to permafrost thaw was accelerated by subsidence, but the effect was relatively small.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charles K. Paull, Scott R. Dallimore, Young Keun Jin, David W. Caress, Eve Lundsten, Roberto Gwiazda, Krystle Anderson, John Hughes Clarke, Scott Youngblut, Humfrey Melling
Summary: Repeated high-resolution bathymetric surveys of the Canadian Beaufort Sea shelf edge reveal rapid morphological changes, including the development of steep-sided depressions and lateral retreat along scarp faces. These changes are attributed to permafrost thawing and freezing sediment expansion.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. A. Taylor, G. Celis, J. D. Ledman, M. Mauritz, S. M. Natali, E. -F. Pegoraro, C. Schadel, E. A. G. Schuur
Summary: Rapid Arctic warming is leading to thawing permafrost, exposing soil organic carbon to potential decomposition. The interaction between thaw and moisture influences total carbon emissions, with significant variations in CH4 and CO2 emissions under different moisture levels and thaw conditions throughout different seasons.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michael Angelopoulos, Pier P. Overduin, Maren Jenrich, Ingmar Nitze, Frank Guenther, Jens Strauss, Sebastian Westermann, Lutz Schirrmeister, Alexander Kholodov, Michael Krautblatter, Mikhail N. Grigoriev, Guido Grosse
Summary: The rate of permafrost degradation beneath submerged Alases was found to be up to 170% faster than submerged Yedoma remnants. Remote sensing analysis revealed that 54% of lagoons wider than 500 meters along the northeast Siberian and northwest American coasts originated in thermokarst basins, indicating their significant impact on subsea permafrost degradation.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Remote Sensing
Wen Zhong, Tingjun Zhang, Jie Chen, Jianguo Shang, Shufa Wang, Cuicui Mu, Chengyan Fan
Summary: This study used terrestrial laser scanning to investigate the development of thermokarst landforms in the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and found significant ground deformation at the edges of thermokarst landforms during the thaw season. The results reveal that seasonal ground temperature change and extreme precipitation events are key factors in triggering severe deformation of thermokarst landforms.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yang Su, Youhua Ran, Guoqing Zhang, Xin Li
Summary: This study utilized remote sensing data to analyze the changes in lake surface area in permafrost regions. The results show an overall increase in lake area, but also indicate that seasonal lake area can both increase and decrease. These changes are most pronounced in low-lying areas, high-density lake regions, and warm permafrost regions, suggesting the significance of thawing or disappearance of permafrost in driving lake changes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Kasia J. Staniszewska, Alberto Reyes, Colin A. Cooke, Brooklyn S. Miller, Robin J. Woywitka
Summary: The impact of permafrost thaw on the fluxes of mercury, methylmercury, and lead in arctic watersheds is still unclear. Through studying the Old Crow River in arctic Canada, it was found that these trace elements were mainly associated with suspended sediment and mobilized during periods of high discharge. However, the widespread presence of thermokarst and thermokarst lakes in the watershed did not result in anomalous concentrations, fluxes, and yields of these trace metals.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Tao Wang, Carmen Kalalian, Daniel Fillion, Sebastien Perrier, Jianmin Chen, Florent Domine, Liwu Zhang, Christian George
Summary: Sunlit thermokarst ponds are found to be a significant source of atmospheric VOCs, and the emission fluxes of these VOCs may be influenced by the segregation of organics at the air/water interface.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jing Luo, Fujun Niu, Zhanju Lin, Minghao Liu, Guoan Yin, Zeyong Gao
Summary: This study investigated the changes in thermokarst lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using high spatial resolution images. The results showed a significant increase in the number and surface area of thermokarst lakes over the last fifty years, with variations in change among different landform types. The increase in small lakes and expansion of large lakes were the main changes observed, while lake drainage occurred in some gentle slope areas. Climate warming and increased precipitation were identified as the most likely factors driving these changes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xianmin Ke, Yujiao Li, Wei Wang, Fujun Niu, Zeyong Gao
Summary: This study compared the chemical and hydrogeochemical characteristics of lake water and groundwater in a typical thermokarst lake region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, revealing the variations in contribution of permafrost meltwater and precipitation to groundwater and lake water during different stages of active layer melting.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Oleg S. Pokrovsky, Rinat M. Manasypov, Oksana A. Pavlova, Liudmila S. Shirokova, Sergey N. Vorobyev
Summary: This study quantified the phytoplankton characteristics of 27 thermokarst lakes in the Western Siberia Lowland, revealing that biodiversity was highest in lakes with continuous permafrost and relatively stable across seasons; the biomass and cell number of phytoplankton showed correlations with Dissolved Organic Carbon, phosphate, and some metal micro-nutrients.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Marius Philipp, Andreas Dietz, Sebastian Buchelt, Claudia Kuenzer
Summary: Climate change and Arctic amplification are leading to degradation of permafrost, resulting in various environmental consequences. Satellite remote sensing is a powerful tool to monitor these changes, with analysis revealing past achievements, current efforts, and future challenges. The use of new tools and methodologies will enable further investigation of permafrost distribution and its implications on the environment.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ze Ren, Xia Li, Cheng Zhang, Qing Wang, Le Fang, Shengkui Cao, Jinlei Yu
Summary: Thermokarst lakes are formed by thawing ice-rich permafrost, which transforms vast permafrost soil into lake sediment and alters the biogeochemistry of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. This study investigated 44 thermokarst lakes across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and found that the concentrations and ratios of C, N, and P in soil and sediment decreased with increasing latitude but increased with increasing precipitation. Degraded permafrost soil had higher concentrations and stoichiometric ratios of C, N, and P compared to lake sediment, with C exhibiting the most significant changes. Regression analysis revealed allometric scaling relationships between C, N, and P in the two types of samples.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
David K. Swanson
Article
Environmental Sciences
David K. Swanson
Summary: The study found that over half of the spring rise in NDVI was due to the transition from snow-covered landscapes to snow-free surfaces, while fall NDVI fluctuated between representing senesced vegetation and clouds/snow. Additionally, by fitting multi-year data, the NDVI value of snow-free surfaces after fall leaf senescence can be estimated.