Widespread permafrost vulnerability and soil active layer increases over the high northern latitudes inferred from satellite remote sensing and process model assessments

Permafrost extent (PE) and active layer thickness (ALT) are important for assessing high northern latitude (HNL) ecological and hydrological processes, and potential land–atmosphere carbon and climate feedbacks. We developed a new approach to infer PE from satellite microwave remote sensing of daily...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Remote sensing of environment 2016-03, Vol.175, p.349-358
Main Authors: Park, Hotaek, Kim, Youngwook, Kimball, John S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Active layer thickness
Carbon
CHANGE
Degradation
Estimates
Freeze/thaw
FT-ESDR
Latitude
Microwaves
Permafrost
Remote sensing
Satellites
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Summary:Permafrost extent (PE) and active layer thickness (ALT) are important for assessing high northern latitude (HNL) ecological and hydrological processes, and potential land–atmosphere carbon and climate feedbacks. We developed a new approach to infer PE from satellite microwave remote sensing of daily landscape freeze–thaw (FT) status. Our results document, for the first time, the use of satellite microwave FT observations for monitoring permafrost extent and condition. The FT observations define near-surface thermal status used to determine permafrost extent and stability over a 30-year (1980–2009) satellite record. The PE results showed similar performance against independent inventory and process model (CHANGE) estimates, but with larger differences over heterogeneous permafrost subzones. A consistent decline in the ensemble mean of permafrost areas (−0.33millionkm2decade−1; p
ISSN:0034-4257
1879-0704
DOI:10.1016/j.rse.2015.12.046