Mapping Retrogressive Thaw Slumps Using Single-Pass TanDEM-X Observations ...

• Main Authors: Bernhard, Philipp, Zwieback, Simon, Leinss, Silvan, Hajnsek, Irena
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ETH Zurich 2020
• Subjects: Abrupt thaw; Banks island; Digital elevation model DEM differencing; DEM generation; Interferometry; Mackenzie river delta; Permafrost; Remote sensing; Retrogressive thaw slumps RTSs; Single-pass radar interferometry; Synthetic aperture radar SAR; Thermokarst; Arctic; Banks Island; Ice; Mackenzie river; permafrost
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000426695; http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/426695

Vast areas of the Arctic host ice-rich permafrost, which is becoming increasingly vulnerable to terrain-altering thermokarst in a warming climate. Among the most rapid and dramatic changes are retrogressive thaw slumps. These slumps evolve by a retreat of the slump headwall during the summer months, making them detectable by comparing digital elevation models over time using the volumetric change as an indicator. Here, we present and assess a method to detect and monitor thaw slumps using time series of elevation models applied on two contrasting study areas in Northern Canada. Our two-step method is tailored to single-pass InSAR observations from the TanDEM-X satellite pair, which have been acquired since 2011. For each acquisition, we derive a digital elevation model and uncertainty estimates. In the first step, we difference digital elevation models and detect the significant elevation changes using a blob-detection algorithm. In the second step, we classify the detections into those due to thaw slumps ... : IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, 13 ...