Retrogressive thaw slump susceptibility in the northern hemisphere permafrost region

Mean annual temperatures in the Arctic and subarctic have increased in recent decades, increasing the number of permafrost hazards. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs), triggered by the thawing of ground ice in permafrost soil, have become more common in the Arctic. Many studies report an increase in R...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Main Authors: Makopoulou, Eirini, Karjalainen, Olli, Elia, Letizia, Blais-Stevens, Andrée, Lantz, Trevor, Lipovsky, Panya, Lombardo, Luigi, Nicu, Ionut Cristi, Rubensdotter, Brita Lena Eleonor Fredin, Rudy, Ashley C.A., Hjort, Jan
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Arctic
Canada
Yamal Peninsula
Global warming
Ice
permafrost
Subarctic
Alaska
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3131509
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5890
Description
Summary:Mean annual temperatures in the Arctic and subarctic have increased in recent decades, increasing the number of permafrost hazards. Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs), triggered by the thawing of ground ice in permafrost soil, have become more common in the Arctic. Many studies report an increase in RTS activity on a local or regional scale. In this study, the primary goals are to: (i) examine the spatial patterns of the RTS occurrences across the circumpolar permafrost region, (ii) assess the environmental factors associated with their occurrence and (iii) create the first susceptibility map for RTS occurrence across the Northern Hemisphere. Based on our results, we predicted high RTS susceptibility in the continuous permafrost regions above the 60th latitude, especially in northern Alaska, north-western Canada, the Yamal Peninsula, eastern Russia and the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The model indicated that air temperature and soil properties are the most critical environmental factors for the occurrence of RTSs on a circumpolar scale. Especially, the climatic conditions of thaw season were highlighted. This study provided new insights into the circumpolar susceptibility of ice-rich permafrost soils to rapid permafrost-related hazards like RTSs and the associated impacts on landscape evolution, infrastructure, hydrology and carbon fluxes that contribute to global warming. Retrogressive thaw slump susceptibility in the northern hemisphere permafrost region publishedVersion

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