ALBERT

Description: The dataset compiles water current velocities and direction measured by a platform-based upward looking Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Data was acquired in August 2018 during the Yukon Coast 2018 expedition to the Herschel Island – Qikiqtaruk coastal observatory, conducted by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam, Germany. Goal of this project was to find drivers that control nearshore currents and to map their spatio-temporal variation. These currents might play an important role in the transport process of sediments and organic matter in the nearshore zone of the Arctic Ocean. The sediments mainly originate from the rapidly eroding permafrost coasts. The columns of this data file include Date/Time, height above the seafloor of the respective measurement cell (bin), current velocity in east-west direction and current velocity in north-south direction.

Description: The dataset compiles water current velocities and direction measured by a platform-based upward looking Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Data was acquired in July/August 2015 during the Yukon Coast 2015 expedition to the Herschel Island – Qikiqtaruk coastal observatory, conducted by the Alfred Wegener Institute in Potsdam, Germany. Goal of this project was to find drivers that control nearshore currents and to map their spatio-temporal variation. These currents might play an important role in the transport process of sediments and organic matter in the nearshore zone of the Arctic Ocean. The sediments mainly originate from the rapidly eroding permafrost coasts. The columns of this data file include Date/Time, height above the seafloor of the respective measurement cell (bin), current velocity in east-west direction and current velocity in north-south direction.

Description: Soft sediment permafrost coasts are well known for their very dynamic nature. In some places their erosion can reach tens of meters, even though the erosion time is restricted to the short open water season of three to four months per year. Due to its high ground ice content, the Yukon coast in the western Canadian Arctic is particularly prone to erosion. Building on results from Irrgang et al., 2018, we continued analyzing shoreline movements along the Yukon Coast using Pleiades satellite imagery covering the whole Yukon Coast from 2018 and 2022, as well as very highly resolved data from UAV overflights covering long term monitoring sites in 2019 and 2022. Using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) Esri ArcMap extension tool, we quantified shoreline movements for the time periods 2011-2018, and 2018-2022 for the entire coastline and for 2015-2019 and 2019- 2022 for long term monitoring sites. We used the same transects and shoreline proxies as in Irrgang et al., 2018, to ensure comparability of our results and elongate our observation series. We will show how recent shoreline position changes differ from past ones and will provide possible reasoning for these detected changes. We are using our multi-time-step shoreline change rate dataset of the Yukon Coast for training and validation purposes within the Earth Observation for Permafrost Coasts (EO4PAC) project. The increasing usage of machine learning approaches for automated shoreline delineation and shoreline change rate retrieval opens up new pathways – especially if it comes to exploring large and remote areas. Such datasets which contain on site derived shoreline change rates and manually derived shorelines from (very) high resolution airborne and spaceborne data are crucial for training algorithms, validation of results and thus for the quality improvement of machine learning techniques.

Description: Permafrost is warming at a global scale, yet land surface change associated with abrupt permafrost thaw strongly affects permafrost communities and Arctic research stations at the local scale. In the ERC PETA-CARB, ESA CCI Permafrost, and NSF Permafrost Discovery Gateway projects, remote sensing time series were used to detect and map permafrost disturbances at high spatial resolution across large regions to quantify landscape change, hydrological dynamics, and permafrost vulnerability. The multitude of geospatial datasets that were produced in these projects provide useful information also for local scales. Hence, the question arises how such large and complex science datasets can be made available for permafrost communities and Arctic research stations to deal with the issues and challenges they experience with land surface disturbances and permafrost thaw at the local scale. The geospatial datasets are published according to the FAIR principles and are available to the research community via well-established channels such as the GTN-P database, the PANGAEA world data centre, and the geodata portal Arctic Permafrost Geospatial Centre (APGC). Currently, the scientific data is not readily designed and presented to be interpreted by non-scientists and non-experts. We are designing a tailored web-based portal specifically targeting non-scientific user communities, stakeholders, and rightsholders. We will develop interactive maps and adequate cartographic visualizations for near real-time information on land surface changes, hot spots of disturbances, and potential areas of active permafrost thaw. While focusing on the local scale, the data will be explorable up to the panarctic scale and may open new avenues for understanding permafrost change for the general public. Through planned consultations with local permafrost communities and stakeholders we aim to ensure that their actual information needs are met.

Description: The Global Cryosphere Watch (GCW), in the context of the framework of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), published the Measurement of Cryospheric Variables, Volume II of the Guide to Instruments and Methods of Observation in 2018, in which best practice for observations of snow parameters was included. As a follow-up effort, measurement best practices for the other cryosphere components are under development, including permafrost and seasonally frozen ground. The measurement best practice for permafrost aims to define reference methods for the configuration and ongoing operation of stations for in situ observations in high mountains and polar regions. It will: address gaps in the existing permafrost monitoring systems, define methods for improving traceability and comparability, recommend instrumental characteristics and provide measurements uncertainty evaluation. A further objective is to support capacity building of countries in terms of developing a permafrost observation network. A Task Team within the framework of GCW was established, to lead the development and publication of a complete guide to the measurements of permafrost variables. The documents in preparation will be coordinated with the ongoing revision of Products and Requirements of the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Permafrost Essential Climate Variable (ECV), including existing variables measured by the GTN-P (Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost). Further, the needs of developing Essential Arctic Variables (EAV) and Shared Arctic Variables (SAV) identified at the Arctic Observing Summit (AOS) are considered. The work will be based on existing methodologies, promoting and recommending methods to improve data reliability and traceability, also for the implementation of new stations.

Description: Climate change has led to an increase in permafrost warming and thaw at global scale. Land surface change associated with permafrost thaw include the acceleration of Arctic coastal erosion, increased thaw slumping in hillslope regions, the drainage and formation of lakes, as well as an intensification of disturbances on land, such as forest fires and droughts. Thermo-erosion threatens infrastructure and leads to gullying, slumping, and even landslides. Arctic communities living on frozen ground are strongly affected by these processes and are increasingly forced to adapt their livelihoods. In some areas, the relocation of settlements has become the last resort and is already actively planned for several communities in Alaska. Remote sensing analyses can be applied to detect and map permafrost disturbances at high spatial resolution across large regions to quantify landscape change, hydrological dynamics, and permafrost vulnerability. In the ERC PETA-CARB, ESA CCI Permafrost, and NSF Permafrost Discovery Gateway projects, a pan-arctic time series covering twenty years was produced using Landsat TM, ETM+, and OLI imagery. Following good scientific practice, this data is published via a digital data library and also available through a cloud-based analysis platform to facilitate re-use by other scientists. However, the data is not readily designed and presented to be interpreted by non-scientists and non-experts. In order to make the scientific findings more easily accessible, within the EU Arctic PASSION project we designed a tailored web-based portal specifically targeting non-scientific user communities, stakeholders, and rightsholders as part of the projects Permafrost Pilot Service. With the new portal, the Arctic Landscape EXplorer (ALEX), we provide interactive maps for recent information on land surface changes, hot spots of disturbances, and potential areas of active permafrost thaw and erosion. While focusing on the local to regional scale relevant for private users, as well as local, regional, and state-level decision makers, exploring the data up to the pan-arctic scale may open new avenues for understanding permafrost change for the general public. Recent consultations with local representatives and stakeholders from Alaska aimed to ensure that their actual information needs are met. Having received positive feedback and strong interest in the tool encouraged us to continue our work.

Description: Under a context of unprecedented and rapid temperature increase of the Arctic region, coastal communities are exposed to greater vulnerability from permafrost degradation, flooding events, and amplified coastal erosion, affecting infrastructure stability and indigenous livelihood. Pan-arctic coastal infrastructures were mapped from Sentinel-1/2 in imagery and shorelines change rates were retrieved for the 2000-2020 period from Landsat imagery using Deep Learning /Machine Learning methods. Permafrost (active layer thickness and ground temperature) time series are available from ESA CCI+ Permafrost. These Pan-arctic datasets were compared to high-resolution local data from satellite, aerial, in situ data and drone imagery for validation process. Combined, these datasets are used to assess pan-arctic coastal settlements vulnerability and risks associated to shoreline change rates. This work is part of the ESA EO4PAC project aiming to provide a range of satellite derived information, including coastal changes and infrastructure in the proximity, for the next generation of the Arctic Coastal Dynamic Database (ACD; Lantuit, et al. 2012).

Description: Arctic coasts are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and the loss of permafrost, sea ice and glaciers. Assessing the influence of anthropogenic warming on Arctic coastal dynamics, however, is challenged by the limited availability of observational, oceanographic and environmental data. Yet, with the majority of permafrost coasts being erosive, coupled with projected intensification of erosion and flooding, understanding these changes is critical. In this Review, we describe the morphological diversity of Arctic coasts, discuss important drivers of coastal change, explain the specific sensitivity of Arctic coasts to climate change and provide an overview of pan- Arctic shoreline change and its multifaceted impacts. Arctic coastal changes impact the human environment by threatening coastal settlements, infrastructure, cultural sites and archaeological remains. Changing sediment fluxes also impact the natural environment through carbon, nutrient and pollutant release on a magnitude that remains difficult to predict. Increasing transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration efforts will build the foundation for identifying sustainable solutions and adaptation strategies to reduce future risks for those living on, working at and visiting the rapidly changing Arctic coast.

Description: Reporting for the German GCOS