Rapid initialization of retrogressive thaw slumps in the Canadian high Arctic and their response to climate and terrain factors

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Main Authors: Melissa K Ward Jones, Wayne H Pollard, Benjamin M Jones
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 2019
• Subjects: permafrost; thermokarst; retrogressive thaw slumps; landscape change; Eureka sound lowlands; high arctic; Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; TD1-1066; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999; Arctic; Eureka; Eureka Sound; Heiberg; polar desert; Thermokarst
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab12fd; https://doaj.org/article/5f3faf3356d54188bfc92d9ba32b7585

An increase in retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) activity has been observed in the Arctic in recent decades. However, a gap exists between observations in high Arctic polar desert regions where mean annual ground temperatures are as cold as −16.5 °C and vegetation coverage is sparse. In this study, we...