scholarly journals Growth of a young pingo in the Canadian Arctic observed by RADARSAT-2 interferometric satellite radar

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 6395-6421 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Samsonov ◽  
T. C. Lantz ◽  
S. V. Kokelj ◽  
Y. Zhang

Abstract. Advancements in radar technology are increasing our ability to detect earth surface deformation in permafrost environments. In this paper we use satellite Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) to describe the growth of a previously unreported pingo in the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands. High-resolution RADARSAT-2 imagery (2011–2014) analyzed with the Multidimensional Small Baseline Subset (MSBAS) DInSAR revealed a maximum 2.7 cm yr−1 of domed uplift located in a drained lake basin. Observed changes in elevation were modeled as a 348 m × 290 m uniformly loaded elliptical plate with clamped edge. Model results suggest that this feature is one of the largest diameter pingos in the region that is presently growing. Analysis of historical aerial photographs showed that ground uplift at this location initiated sometime between 1935 and 1951 following lake drainage. Uplift is largely due to the growth of intrusive ice, because the 9 % expansion of pore water associated with permafrost aggradation into saturated sands is not sufficient to explain the observed short- and long-term deformation rates. The modeled thickness of permafrost using the Northern Ecosystem Soil Temperature (NEST) was consistent with the maximum height of this feature and the 1972–2014 elevation changes estimated from aerial photographs, suggesting that permafrost aggradation is resulting in the freezing a sub-pingo water lens. Seasonal variation in the uplift rate seen in the DInSAR data also matches the modeled seasonal pattern in the deepening rate of freezing front. This study demonstrates that interferometric satellite radar can successfully contribute to understanding the dynamics of terrain uplift in response to permafrost aggradation and ground ice development in remote polar environments, and highlights possible application of detecting deformation of Martian landscapes. However, our DInSAR data did not show clear growth at other smaller pingos in contrast with field studies performed mainly before the 1990s. Further investigation of this apparent discrepancy may help define limitations of our processing methodology and DInSAR data.

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 799-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey V. Samsonov ◽  
Trevor C. Lantz ◽  
Steven V. Kokelj ◽  
Yu Zhang

Abstract. Advancements in radar technology are increasing our ability to detect Earth surface deformation in permafrost environments. In this paper we use satellite Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) to describe the growth of a large, relatively young pingo in the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands. High-resolution RADARSAT-2 imagery (2011–2014) analyzed with the Multidimensional Small Baseline Subset (MSBAS) DInSAR revealed a maximum 2.7 cm yr−1 of domed uplift located in a drained lake basin. Satellite measurements suggest that this feature is one of the largest diameter pingos in the region that is presently growing. Observed changes in elevation were modeled as a 348  ×  290 m uniformly loaded elliptical plate with clamped edge. Analysis of historical aerial photographs suggested that ground uplift at this location initiated sometime between 1935 and 1951 following drainage of the residual pond. Uplift is largely due to the growth of intrusive ice, because the 9 % expansion of pore water associated with permafrost aggradation into saturated sands is not sufficient to explain the observed short- and long-term deformation rates. The modeled thickness of ice-rich permafrost using the Northern Ecosystem Soil Temperature (NEST) was consistent with the maximum height of this feature. Modeled permafrost aggradation from 1972 to 2014 approximated elevation changes estimated from aerial photographs for that time period. Taken together, these lines of evidence indicate that uplift is at least in part a result of freezing of the sub-pingo water lens. Seasonal variations in the uplift rate seen in the DInSAR data closely match the modeled seasonal pattern in the deepening rate of freezing front. This study demonstrates that interferometric satellite radar can detect and contribute to understanding the dynamics of terrain uplift in response to permafrost aggradation and ground ice development in remote polar environments. The present-day growth rate is smaller than predicted by the modeling and no clear growth is observed at other smaller pingos in contrast with field studies performed mainly before the 1990s. Investigation of this apparent discrepancy provides an opportunity to further develop observation methods and models.


Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (16) ◽  
pp. 4464
Author(s):  
Jing Wang ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Yixian Tang ◽  
Xuefei Zhang ◽  
...  

The dynamic changes of the thawing and freezing processes of the active layer cause seasonal subsidence and uplift over a large area on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau due to ongoing climate warming. To analyze and investigate the seasonal freeze–thaw process of the active layer, we employ the new small baseline subset (NSBAS) technique based on a piecewise displacement model, including seasonal deformation, as well as linear and residual deformation trends, to retrieve the surface deformation of the Beiluhe basin. We collect 35 Sentinel-1 images with a 12 days revisit time and 9 TerraSAR-X images with less-than two month revisit time from 2018 to 2019 to analyze the type of the amplitude of seasonal oscillation of different ground targets on the Beiluhe basin in detail. The Sentinel-1 results show that the amplitude of seasonal deformation is between −62.50 mm and 11.50 mm, and the linear deformation rate ranges from −24.50 mm/yr to 5.00 mm/yr (2018–2019) in the study area. The deformation trends in the Qinghai–Tibet Railway (QTR) and Qinghai–Tibet Highway (QTH) regions are stable, ranging from −18.00 mm to 6 mm. The InSAR results of Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X data show that seasonal deformation trends are consistent, exhibiting good correlations 0.78 and 0.84, and the seasonal and linear deformation rates of different ground targets are clearly different on the Beiluhe basin. Additionally, there are different time lags between the maximum freezing uplift or thawing subsidence and the maximum or minimum temperature for the different ground target areas. The deformation values of the alpine meadow and floodplain areas are higher compared with the alpine desert and barren areas, and the time lags of the freezing and thawing periods based on the Sentinel-1 results are longest in the alpine desert area, that is, 86 days and 65 days, respectively. Our research has important reference significance for the seasonal dynamic monitoring of different types of seasonal deformation and the extensive investigations of permafrost in Qinghai Tibet Plateau.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1381-1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine F. Dow ◽  
Mauro A. Werder ◽  
Sophie Nowicki ◽  
Ryan T. Walker

Abstract. The growth and drainage of active subglacial lakes in Antarctica has previously been inferred from analysis of ice surface altimetry data. We use a subglacial hydrology model applied to a synthetic Antarctic ice stream to examine internal controls on the filling and drainage of subglacial lakes. Our model outputs suggest that the highly constricted subglacial environment of our idealized ice stream, combined with relatively high rates of water flow funneled from a large catchment, can combine to create a system exhibiting slow-moving pressure waves. Over a period of years, the accumulation of water in the ice stream onset region results in a buildup of pressure creating temporary channels, which then evacuate the excess water. This increased flux of water beneath the ice stream drives lake growth. As the water body builds up, it steepens the hydraulic gradient out of the overdeepened lake basin and allows greater flux. Eventually this flux is large enough to melt channels that cause the lake to drain. Lake drainage also depends on the internal hydrological development in the wider system and therefore does not directly correspond to a particular water volume or depth. This creates a highly temporally and spatially variable system, which is of interest for assessing the importance of subglacial lakes in ice stream hydrology and dynamics.


2007 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 106-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Nuth ◽  
J. Kohler ◽  
H.F. Aas ◽  
O. Brandt ◽  
J.O. Hagen

AbstractThis study uses older topographic maps made from high-oblique aerial photographs for glacier elevation change studies. We compare the 1936/38 topographic map series of Svalbard (Norwegian Polar Institute) to a modern digital elevation model from 1990. Both systematic and random components of elevation error are examined by analyzing non-glacier elevation difference points. The 1936/38 photographic aerial survey is examined to identify areas with poor data coverage over glaciers. Elevation changes are analyzed for seven regions in Svalbard (~5000 km2), where significant thinning was found at glacier fronts, and elevation increases in the upper parts of the accumulation areas. All regions experience volume losses and negative geodetic balances, although regional variability exists relating to both climate and topography. Many surges are apparent within the elevation change maps. Estimated volume change for the regions is –1.59±0.07km3 a–1 (ice equivalent) for a geodetic annual balance of –0.30ma–1w.e., and the glaciated area has decreased by 16% in the 54 year time interval. The 1936–90 data are compared to modern elevation change estimates in the southern regions, to show that the rate of thinning has increased dramatically since 1990.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Hee Kim ◽  
Duk-jin Kim ◽  
Hyun-Cheol Kim

Ice rumples are locally-grounded features of flowing ice shelves, elevated tens of meters above the surrounding surface. These features may significantly impact the dynamics of ice-shelf grounding lines, which are strongly related to shelf stability. In this study, we used TanDEM-X data to construct high-resolution DEMs of the Thwaites ice shelf in West Antarctica from 2011 to 2013. We also generated surface deformation maps which allowed us to detect and monitor the elevation changes of an ice rumple that appeared sometime between the observations of a grounding line of the Thwaites glacier using Double-Differential Interferometric SAR (DDInSAR) in 1996 and 2011. The observed degradation of the ice rumple during 2011–2013 may be related to a loss of contact with the underlying bathymetry caused by the thinning of the ice shelf. We subsequently used a viscoelastic deformation model with a finite spherical pressure source to reproduce the surface expression of the ice rumple. Global optimization allowed us to fit the model to the observed deformation map, producing reasonable estimates of the ice thickness at the center of the pressure source. Our conclusion is that combining the use of multiple high-resolution DEMs and the simple viscoelastic deformation model is feasible for observing and understanding the transient nature of small ice rumples, with implications for monitoring ice shelf stability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 149 ◽  
pp. 02009
Author(s):  
Maira Razakova ◽  
Alexandr Kuzmin ◽  
Igor Fedorov ◽  
Rustam Yergaliev ◽  
Zharas Ainakulov

The paper considers the issues of calculating the volume of the landslide from remote sensing data. The main methods of obtaining information during research are field observations. The most important results of field studies are quantitative estimates, such as the volume of the embankment resulting from a landslide, morphometric indicators, etc. The study of a remote and remote object was carried out by remote methods using aerial photographs in the Ile Alatau foothills at 1,600 meters above sea level. The obtained materials from the mudflow survey will be useful in developing solutions to mitigate the effects of disasters and in the design of measures for engineering protection from landslides.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 1673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiong Wu ◽  
Chunting Jia ◽  
Shengbo Chen ◽  
Hongqing Li

Yan’an new district (YND) is one of the largest civil engineering projects for land creation in Loess Plateau, of which the amount of earthwork exceeds 600 million m3, to create 78.5 km2 of flat land. Such mega-scale engineering activities and complex geological characteristics have induced wide land deformation in the region. Small baseline subset synthetic aperture radar interferometry (SBAS-InSAR) method and 55 Sentinel-1A (S-1A) images were utilized in the present work to investigate the urban surface deformation in the Yan’an urban area and Yan’an new airport (YNA) from 2015 to 2019. The results were validated by the ground leveling measurements in the YNA. It is found that significant uneven surface deformation existed in both YND and YNA areas with maximum accumulative subsidence of 300 and 217 mm, respectively. Moreover, the average subsidence rate of the YND and YNA areas ranged from −70 to 30 mm/year and −50 to 25 mm/year, respectively. The present work shows that the land deformation suffered two periods (from 2015 to 2017 and from 2017 to 2019) and expanded from urban center to surrounding resettlement area, which are highly relevant with urban earthwork process. It is found that more than 60% of land subsidence occurs at filled areas, while more than 65% of surface uplifting occurs at excavation areas. The present work shows that the subsidence originates from the earth filling and the load of urban buildings, while the release of stress is the major factor for the land uplift. Moreover, it is found that the collapsibility of loess and concentrated precipitation deteriorates the degree of local land subsidence. The deformation discovered by this paper shows that the city may suffer a long period of subsidence, and huge challenges may exist in the period of urban maintaining buildings and infrastructure facilities.


Teknik ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 126
Author(s):  
Arliandy Pratama Arbad ◽  
Wataru Takeuchi ◽  
Yosuke Aoki ◽  
Achmad Ardy ◽  
Mutiara Jamilah

Penginderaan jauh kini memainkan peranan penting dalam pengamatan perilaku gunung api. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengamati deformasi permukaan Gunung Bromo, yang terletak di Jawa bagian Timur, Indonesia, yang masuk dalam rangkaian sistem volkanik di Taman Nasional Bukit Tengger Semeru (TNBTS). Penggunaan algoritma SAR Interferometry (InSAR) yang disebut sebagai pendekatan Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) memungkinkan perancangan peta kecepatan deformasi rata-rata dan and peta time series displacement di wilayah kajian. Teknik SBAS yang biasa menghasilkan rangkaian observasi tahap interferometrik. Ini tercatat sebagai kombinasi linear dari nilai fase SAR  scene untuk setiap pixel secara tersendiri. Analisis yang dilakukan terutama berdasarkan 22 data SAR data yang diperoleh melalui sensor ALOS/PALSAR selama kurun waktu 2007–2011. Beberapa penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kemampuan analisis InSAR dalam menyelidiki siklus gunung api, terutama Gunung Bromo yang memiliki karakteristik erupsi stratovolcano dalam satu hingga lima tahun. Analisis hasil memperlihatkan adanya kemajuan dari kajian sebelumnya akan InSAR wilayah tersebut, yang lebih fokus  kepada deformasi yang berpengaruh kepada kaldera. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa penelitian ini bisa diimplementasikan pada manajemen risiko atau manajemen infrastruktur


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