scholarly journals Sentinel-1 SAR Interferometry for Surface Deformation Monitoring in Low-Land Permafrost Areas

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tazio Strozzi ◽  
Sofia Antonova ◽  
Frank Günther ◽  
Eva Mätzler ◽  
Gonçalo Vieira ◽  
...  

Low-land permafrost areas are subject to intense freeze-thaw cycles and characterized by remarkable surface displacement. We used Sentinel-1 SAR interferometry (InSAR) in order to analyse the summer surface displacement over four spots in the Arctic and Antarctica since 2015. Choosing floodplain or outcrop areas as the reference for the InSAR relative deformation measurements, we found maximum subsidence of about 3 to 10 cm during the thawing season with generally high spatial variability. Sentinel-1 time-series of interferograms with 6–12 day time intervals highlight that subsidence is often occurring rather quickly within roughly one month in early summer. Intercomparison of summer subsidence from Sentinel-1 in 2017 with TerraSAR-X in 2013 over part of the Lena River Delta (Russia) shows a high spatial agreement between both SAR systems. A comparison with in-situ measurements for the summer of 2014 over the Lena River Delta indicates a pronounced downward movement of several centimetres in both cases but does not reveal a spatial correspondence between InSAR and local in-situ measurements. For the reconstruction of longer time-series of deformation, yearly Sentinel-1 interferograms from the end of the summer were considered. However, in order to infer an effective subsidence of the surface through melting of excess ice layers over multi-annual scales with Sentinel-1, a longer observation time period is necessary.

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 4085-4122 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bolshiyanov ◽  
A. Makarov ◽  
L. Savelieva

Abstract. The Lena River Delta, the largest delta of the Arctic Ocean, differs from other deltas because it consists mainly of organomineral sediments, commonly called peat, that contain a huge organic carbon reservoir. The analysis of Delta sediment radiocarbon ages showed that they could not have formed as peat during floodplain bogging, but accumulated when Laptev Sea water level was high and green mosses and sedges grew and were deposited on the surface of flooded marshes. The Lena River Delta formed as organomineral masses and layered sediments accumulated during transgressive phases when sea level rose. In regressive phases, the islands composed of these sediments and other, more ancient islands were eroded. Each new sea transgression led to further accumulation of layered sediments. As a result of alternating transgressive and regressive phases the first alluvial-marine terrace formed, consisting of geological bodies of different ages. Determining the formation age of different areas of the first terrace and other marine terraces on the coast allowed the periods of increasing (8–6 Ka, 4.5–4 Ka, 2.5–1.5 Ka, 0.4–0.2 Ka) and decreasing (5 Ka, 3 Ka, 0.5 Ka) Laptev Sea levels to be distinguished in the Lena Delta area.


2019 ◽  
pp. 62-77
Author(s):  
L. P. Imaeva ◽  
G. S. Gusev ◽  
V. S. Imaev

This paper presents seismogeodynamic analysis of modern structures located in the Lena river delta. These structures are key elements in the tectonic evolution of the shelf–continent transition zone in the Arctic segment of the boundary between the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates. The geological structure of the Lena river delta is predetermined by the junction of the ancient Siberian platform and the Mesozoic Laptev Sea plate. These two large geoblocks of the crust, which differ in age, are separated by a fragment of the Kharaulakh segment of the Verkhoyansk fold system. In our study aimed to reveal regularities in seismotectonic destruction of the crust, we analyzed the geological and geophysical data on the crustal structure, active faults, modern structural plan, dynamic characteristics of the modern relief, and hydrological features characterizing of the flow redistribution in the Lena riverbed. A system of active faults identified in the Lena river delta shows a contrasting kinematic plan of the junction zone of the main geostructures. According to the analysis results, shear faulting is a dominant factor of impact on the morphologic features and seismogeodynamic activation of the modern structures. A regional right-lateral strike-slip fault of the sublatitudinal strike is traced as a major structural boundary that cuts the Lena river delta into several geodynamic segments. Seismotectonic destruction of the crust in the segments differs in types (transpression, transtension and compression). The above-mentioned fault is not only the main element of the kinematic plan of the newest structures in the Lena river delta – it controls the general structural pattern and seismotectonic parameters of active fault zones in the entire northern sector of the Verkhoyansk marginal suture. The seismogeodynamic analysis results obtained in our study provide a reliable basis for estimating potential seismic hazard of the modern structures in the Lena river delta and updating the available seismic zoning maps of the shelf–continent transition zone in the Arctic segment of the boundary between the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vyacheslav Polyakov ◽  
Evgeny Abakumov

The Arctic ecosystem has a huge reservoir of soil organic carbon stored in permafrost-affected soils and biosediments. During the short vegetation season, humification and mineralization processes in the active soil layer result in the formation of specific soil organic substances – humic substances. Humic acids are high molecular, specific, thermodynamically stable macromolecules. The study was conducted in the Lena River Delta, the largest river delta located in the Arctic. Cryosol-type soils on alluvial deposits of the river form an area of about 45 thousand km<sup>2</sup> under permafrost conditions. The vegetation cover is represented by moss-lichen communities with the presence of <em>Salix glauca</em> in the flooded areas, as well as <em>Betula nana</em> in the areas not subject to flooding. The paper presents the elemental and molecular composition of humic acids isolated from soils, integral indicators of humification (stabilization) of organic matter in the soils of the Lena River Delta. The study was conducted using the <sup>13</sup>C (CP/MAS) NMR spectroscopy method. In the work, it was revealed that up to 33% of aromatic and up to 15% COOR fragments are accumulated in humic acids. The AR/AL ratio ranged from 0.69 to 0.89. The studied soils are variants of modern soil formation (not subjected to alluvial processes) and soil-like bodies that melted from the IC of the river delta. A relatively high degree of condensation of humic acid macromolecules in comparison with other polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic was noted.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 3507-3524 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Zubrzycki ◽  
L. Kutzbach ◽  
G. Grosse ◽  
A. Desyatkin ◽  
E.-M. Pfeiffer

Abstract. The Lena River Delta, which is the largest delta in the Arctic, extends over an area of 32 000 km2 and likely holds more than half of the entire soil organic carbon (SOC) mass stored in the seven major deltas in the northern permafrost regions. The geomorphic units of the Lena River Delta which were formed by true deltaic sedimentation processes are a Holocene river terrace and the active floodplains. Their mean SOC stocks for the upper 1 m of soils were estimated at 29 kg m−2 &amp;pm; 10 kg m−2 and at 14 kg m−2 ± 7 kg m−2, respectively. For the depth of 1 m, the total SOC pool of the Holocene river terrace was estimated at 121 Tg ± 43 Tg, and the SOC pool of the active floodplains was estimated at 120 Tg ± 66 Tg. The mass of SOC stored within the observed seasonally thawed active layer was estimated at about 127 Tg assuming an average maximum active layer depth of 50 cm. The SOC mass which is stored in the perennially frozen ground at the increment 50–100 cm soil depth, which is currently excluded from intense biogeochemical exchange with the atmosphere, was estimated at 113 Tg. The mean nitrogen (N) stocks for the upper 1 m of soils were estimated at 1.2 kg m−2 ± 0.4 kg m−2 for the Holocene river terrace and at 0.9 kg m−2 ± 0.4 kg m−2 for the active floodplain levels, respectively. For the depth of 1 m, the total N pool of the river terrace was estimated at 4.8 Tg ± 1.5 Tg, and the total N pool of the floodplains was estimated at 7.7 Tg ± 3.6 Tg. Considering the projections for deepening of the seasonally thawed active layer up to 120 cm in the Lena River Delta region within the 21st century, these large carbon and nitrogen stocks could become increasingly available for decomposition and mineralization processes.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Antonova ◽  
Claude Duguay ◽  
Andreas Kääb ◽  
Birgit Heim ◽  
Moritz Langer ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-28
Author(s):  
S. S. Barinova ◽  
V. A. Gabyshev ◽  
A. P. Ivanova ◽  
O. I. Gabysheva

The Lena River in the Laptev Sea forms a vast delta, one of the largest in the world. The Ust-Lensky State Nature Reserve saves biodiversity on the Lena Delta territory beyond the Arctic Circle, in the zone of continuous permafrost. In recent years, large-scale plans for the development of extractive industries are implemented in this Russian Arctic sector. In this regard, the study of biodiversity and bioindication properties of aquatic organisms in the Lena River estuary area is becoming more and more relevant. This study aims to identify the species composition of microalgae in lotic and lentic water bodies of the Lena River Delta and use their indicator property for water salinity. It was a trace indicator of species distribution over the delta and their dynamics along the delta main watercourses to assess the impact of river waters on the Laptev Sea coastal areas. For this, all previously published materials on algae and chemical composition of the region waters as well as data obtained in recent years for the waters of the lower Lena reach were involved. In total, 700 species considered to 10 phyla were analyzed: Cyanobacteria (83), Euglenozoa (13), Ochrophyta (Chrysophyta, Xanthophyta) (41), Eustigmatophyta (4), Bacillariophyta (297), Miozoa (20), Cryptophyta (3), Rhodophyta (1), Chlorophyta (125), and Charophyta (111). The available materials of the field and reference observations were analyzed using several statistical methods. The study results indicate that hydrological conditions are the main factor regulating the spatial structure of the species composition of the microalgae communities in the Lena River Delta. The distribution of groups of salinity indicators across flowing water bodies reflects the effect of water salinity, and this allows suggesting possible sources of this effect. The mechanism of tracking the distribution of environmental indicators itself is a sensitive method, that reveals even their subtle changes in them; therefore, as an integral method, it can be helpful for further monitoring.


2022 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Stolpmann ◽  
Gesine Mollenhauer ◽  
Anne Morgenstern ◽  
Jens S. Hammes ◽  
Julia Boike ◽  
...  

The Arctic is rich in aquatic systems and experiences rapid warming due to climate change. The accelerated warming causes permafrost thaw and the mobilization of organic carbon. When dissolved organic carbon is mobilized, this DOC can be transported to aquatic systems and degraded in the water bodies and further downstream. Here, we analyze the influence of different landscape components on DOC concentrations and export in a small (6.45 km2) stream catchment in the Lena River Delta. The catchment includes lakes and ponds, with the flow path from Pleistocene yedoma deposits across Holocene non-yedoma deposits to the river outlet. In addition to DOC concentrations, we use radiocarbon dating of DOC as well as stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes (δ18O and δD) to assess the origin of DOC. We find significantly higher DOC concentrations in the Pleistocene yedoma area of the catchment compared to the Holocene non-yedoma area with medians of 5 and 4.5 mg L−1 (p &lt; 0.05), respectively. When yedoma thaw streams with high DOC concentration reach a large yedoma thermokarst lake, we observe an abrupt decrease in DOC concentration, which we attribute to dilution and lake processes such as mineralization. The DOC ages in the large thermokarst lake (between 3,428 and 3,637 14C y BP) can be attributed to a mixing of mobilized old yedoma and Holocene carbon. Further downstream after the large thermokarst lake, we find progressively younger DOC ages in the stream water to its mouth, paired with decreasing DOC concentrations. This process could result from dilution with leaching water from Holocene deposits and/or emission of ancient yedoma carbon to the atmosphere. Our study shows that thermokarst lakes and ponds may act as DOC filters, predominantly by diluting incoming waters of higher DOC concentrations or by re-mineralizing DOC to CO2 and CH4. Nevertheless, our results also confirm that the small catchment still contributes DOC on the order of 1.2 kg km−2 per day from a permafrost landscape with ice-rich yedoma deposits to the Lena River.


2014 ◽  
Vol 458 (1) ◽  
pp. 1047-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Vishnevskaya ◽  
E. O. Amon ◽  
V. A. Marinov ◽  
B. N. Shurygin

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 579-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bolshiyanov ◽  
A. Makarov ◽  
L. Savelieva

Abstract. The Lena River delta, the largest delta of the Arctic Ocean, differs from other deltas because it consists mainly of organomineral sediments, commonly called peat, that contain a huge organic carbon reservoir. The analysis of delta sediment radiocarbon ages showed that they could not have formed as peat during floodplain bogging; rather, they accumulated when Laptev Sea water level was high and green mosses and sedges grew and were deposited on the surface of flooded marshes. The Lena River delta formed as organomineral masses and layered sediments accumulated during transgressive phases when sea level rose. In regressive phases, the islands composed of these sediments and other, more ancient islands were eroded. Each new sea transgression led to further accumulation of layered sediments. As a result of alternating transgressive and regressive phases, the first alluvial-marine terrace formed, consisting of geological bodies of different ages. Determining the formation age of different areas of the first terrace and other marine terraces on the coast allowed the periods of increasing (8000–6000 BP (years before present), 4500–4000, 2500–1500, and 400–200 BP) and decreasing (5000, 3000, and 500 BP) Laptev Sea levels to be distinguished in the Lena Delta area.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Westermann ◽  
Maria Peter ◽  
Moritz Langer ◽  
Georg Schwamborn ◽  
Lutz Schirrmeister ◽  
...  

Abstract. Permafrost is a sensitive element of the cryosphere, but operational monitoring of the ground thermal conditions on large spatial scales is still lacking. Here, we demonstrate a remote-sensing based scheme that is capable of estimating the transient evolution of ground temperatures and active layer thickness by means of the ground thermal model CryoGrid 2. The scheme is applied to an area of approx. 16 000 km2 in the Lena River Delta in NE Siberia for a period of 14 years. The forcing data sets at 1 km spatial and weekly temporal resolution are synthesized from satellite products (MODIS Land Surface Temperature, MODIS Snow Extent, GlobSnow Snow Water Equivalent) and fields of meteorological variables from the ERA-interim reanalysis. To assign spatially distributed ground thermal properties, a stratigraphic classification based on geomorphological observations and mapping is constructed which accounts for the large-scale patterns of sediment types, ground ice and surface properties in the Lena River Delta. A comparison of the model forcing to in-situ measurements on Samoylov Island in the southern part of the study area yields a satisfactory agreement both for surface temperature, snow depth and timing of the onset and termination of the winter snow cover. The model results are compared to observations of ground temperatures and thaw depths at nine sites in in the Lena River Delta which suggests that thaw depths are in most cases reproduced to within 0.1 m or less and multi-year averages of ground temperatures within 1 to 1.5 °C. The warmest ground temperatures are calculated for grid cells close to the main river channels in the south, as well as areas with sandy sediments and low organic and ice contents in the central delta, where also the largest thaw depths occur. On the other hand, the coldest temperatures are modeled for the eastern part, an area with low surface temperatures and snow depths. The lowest thaw depths are modeled for Yedoma permafrost featuring very high ground ice and soil organic contents in the southern parts of the delta. The comparison to in-situ observations indicates that the satellite-based model scheme is generally capable of estimating the thermal state of permafrost and its time evolution in the Lena River Delta. The approach could hence be a first step towards remote detection of ground thermal conditions and active layer thickness in permafrost areas.


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