Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 18, 2025
06:27
Simulating Impacts of Ice Storms on Forest Ecosystems
Published on: June 30, 2020
7.1K
Quantifying Surface-Height Change Over a Periglacial Environment With ICESat-2 Laser Altimetry.
R J Michaelides1, M B Bryant2, M R Siegfried1
1Department of Geophysics Colorado School of Mines Golden CO USA.
Earth and Space Science (Hoboken, N.J.)
|October 1, 2021
Summary
We used ICESat-2 satellite data to measure ground surface changes on Alaska's North Slope, confirming seasonal permafrost thaw and freeze cycles. These findings align with Sentinel-1 radar data, offering insights into active layer dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Earth Science
- Geophysics
- Remote Sensing
Background:
- Permafrost regions are sensitive to climate change, exhibiting surface deformation due to seasonal freeze-thaw cycles.
- Understanding active layer dynamics is crucial for monitoring permafrost stability and its environmental impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate ground surface-height change on the North Slope of Alaska using ICESat-2 laser altimetry.
- To compare ICESat-2 measurements with Sentinel-1 InSAR data for validation of surface deformation.
- To investigate the relationship between surface height changes and thermal conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2) laser altimetry data, including crossovers and repeat tracks.
- Compared ICESat-2 derived surface-height changes with Sentinel-1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series.
- Analyzed correlations between surface deformation and normalized accumulated degree days, temperature, and snow cover data.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated agreement between ICESat-2 and Sentinel-1 observations of surface deformation at broad spatial scales.
- Observed a relationship between ICESat-2 surface subsidence/uplift and accumulated degree days, consistent with active layer freeze-thaw.
- Generated an annual time series of surface-height change sensitive to snow cover and active layer thaw, showing temporal correlation with independent datasets.
Conclusions:
- ICESat-2 data provides valuable insights into seasonal active layer dynamics and permafrost surface changes.
- Joint analysis of ICESat-2 and InSAR data holds significant potential for future permafrost monitoring.
- Optimal post-processing strategies for ICESat-2 data are essential for accurate permafrost applications.
More Related Videos
13:38Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission L.I.F.E. as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats
Published on: October 26, 2019
8.1K
08:09Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management
Published on: September 12, 2017
12.0K
Related Concept Videos
01:03Precipitation Gravimetry
8.3K
Precipitation gravimetry is based on converting an analyte into a sparingly soluble precipitate, which is separated by filtration and weighed. An ideal precipitate should be pure, insoluble, of known composition, and easily filtered from the reaction mixture.
In determining nickel by gravimetric analysis, a precipitant of ethanolic dimethylglyoxime is added to a hot nickel salt solution. This is quickly followed by the dropwise addition of dilute ammonia solution until precipitation occurs. A...
In determining nickel by gravimetric analysis, a precipitant of ethanolic dimethylglyoxime is added to a hot nickel salt solution. This is quickly followed by the dropwise addition of dilute ammonia solution until precipitation occurs. A...
8.3K
01:25Methods of Obtaining Topography
156
Topography involves measuring and mapping land elevations, natural features, and artificial structures to create accurate representations of the terrain. Topographic surveying relies on traditional and modern methods, each with distinct advantages and limitations.Traditional Surveying Methods:Transit stadia surveys and plane table surveys were widely used traditional surveying methods. These techniques relied on instruments like theodolites and stadia rods for measuring distances and angles,...
156
01:26Influence of Earth's Curvature and Atmospheric Refraction on Leveling
354
During leveling, the Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction introduce deviations in the line of sight from a true horizontal reference. When the line of sight is leveled, it remains perpendicular to the plumb line only at a single point. Beyond this, it deviates due to the Earth’s curvature, represented by the correction C. For a sight distance D, the deviation can be derived using the relationship:This relationship shows that the deviation increases quadratically with distance.
354
01:29Topographic Surveying and Contours
389
Topographic surveying is critical for documenting the Earth's surface, focusing on capturing elevations, slopes, and natural and man-made features. It is essential in construction planning, water resource management, and land-use analysis. The primary outcome of such surveys is a topographic map, which uses contour lines to visually represent the shape and slope of the terrain, providing valuable insights into the landscape's characteristics.Contour lines are fundamental to understanding the...
389
01:26Introduction and Methods of Leveling
259
Leveling is a surveying procedure used to determine elevation differences between distant points. Elevation refers to the vertical distance above or below a reference datum, typically mean sea level (MSL). In the United States, elevations are often referenced to the mean sea level station at Father Point Rimouski along the St. Lawrence Seaway. To make the datum accessible, permanent markers are established throughout the region. These markers, called benchmarks, have known elevations. If the...
259
01:50Global Climate Change
25.3K
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
25.3K