Remote sensing of mountain permafrost landscape by multi-fusion data modeling. Example of verkhoyansk ridge (Russia)

• Main Authors: Gadal, Sébastien, Zakharov, Moisei, Danilov, Yuri, Kamičaitytė, Jūratė
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: multi-fusion methods; land surface temperature; landform classification; permafrost landscape mapping; Arctic; Verkhoyansk; permafrost
• Online Access: http://ktu.lvb.lt/KTU:ELABAPDB70862034&prefLang=en_US

Mapping of permafrost mountain landscape of Verkhoyansk in the Arctic zone is based on the recognition by remote sensing and GIS modeling of the landscape permafrost-objects resulting from the combination of the Milkov’s taxonomic classifications. The methodology developed integrates three types of modeling: the first one is mapping the vegetation repartition using Sentinel 2A with SVM classifier during the summer vegetative period; second is the landform classification using Jenness’s algorithm from ASTER data; and the third one is land surface temperature calculus from Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images identifying the permafrost characteristics categories. Results are merged using a native index equation of permafrost landscape objects in GIS. This original mapping approach improves significantly the understanding of complexity of the permafrost mountain structures and processes with the annual monitoring by remote sensing.