Estimating ground ice volumes in tundra polygon networks

• Main Authors: Haltigin, T., Lantuit, Hugues
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Arctic; Climate change; Global warming; Ice; inuit; permafrost; Sea ice; Tundra
• Online Access: https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/13046/; https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.23439

As outlined in the previous IAF congress in Vancouver, global warming is a majorand growing concern in Arctic regions. Climatic changes in the polar regions of earth are believed to be at least twice as dramatic as in others. A wide international and interconnected approach to the investigation of its impacts is needed. Remote sensing of Arctic regions is unique as it can be used to provide periodic, reliable and precise datasets of any given region. Field research, on the other hand iscrippled by the remoteness, the cost, and the short time frame generally involved. While a considerable amount of research has been conducted on sea ice, sea surface temperatures, and sea currents, few studies have been focusing on the impacts of climate change on theland, and in particular on the permafrost that underlies the entire Arctic. This critical issue has to be addressed rapidly since it directly affects the Inuit communities, the flora, and the fauna of the Arctic.One singular component of the Arctic regions is the presence of tundra polygons, also termed patterned ground. Tundra polygons are linked to the thermal contraction ofthe ground at very low temperatures. They can be found on Earth and on Mars and are observable over large areas, delineating fractal-like networks on the ground. They are characterized by the presence of large quantities of ice at their edges. The imminenceof considerable warming of air temperatures in the Arctic will undoubtedly lead to the melting of most ice, subsequently inducing a lowering of the ground over thousands ofsquare kilometres. No method presently exists to automatically delineate these networks of polygons, and thereafter to quantify the volumes of ice. In this study we present the first attempt to quantify the volumes associated with the thermal contraction fractures and subsequently the volumes of ice present in the ground using high resolution imagery. We investigated several terrains in the western and high Canadian arctic and validated this method with intensive field ...