Permafrost Landscapes: Classification and Mapping

• Published in: Geosciences
• Main Author: Alexander N. Fedorov
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019
• Subjects: permafrost landscape; classification; mapping; climate change; anthropogenic disturbance; satellite images; thermokarst; landscape stability; Geology; QE1-996.5; permafrost; Thermokarst; Tundra
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9110468; https://doaj.org/article/4c6bb1faf857424fabb5dc0e7ca2a4dc

Permafrost landscapes occupy 25% of the world’s land area. The formation, dynamics, and evolution of these landscapes are greatly controlled by permafrost processes and thus require special approaches to classification and mapping. Alases, pingoes, edoma, thermokarst mounds, stone streams, low-centre polygonal tundra, and other surface features are associated with the presence of permafrost. Permafrost degradation and greenhouse gas emission due to global climate warming are among the major potential dangers facing the world. Improvements in knowledge about permafrost landscapes are therefore increasingly important. This special issue, titled “Permafrost Landscapes: Classification and Mapping”, presents articles on classification, mapping, monitoring, and stability assessment of permafrost landscapes, providing an overview of current work in the most important areas of cold regions research.