Abstract:

The project “Permafrost in Iceland – Climate Change Impact on Permafrost Development and Resulting Mass Movement Processes” (PERM::ICE) aims at investigating the interrelations between climate change, permafrost melting and mass movement processes in mountain regions of Iceland. The idea that the increasing frequency of mass movement processes is triggered by permafrost decay as consequence of climate change/global warming is still speculative as the knowledge on permafrost distribution is rather little. Satellite-based technologies can help to detect permafrost distribution pattern area-wide by mapping permafrost indicators such as rock glaciers and perennial snow patches. Time series of maps of permafrost and mass movement distribution are produced from satellite and airborne data, which are evaluated by ground control in selected areas. Results and products of the project will also provide the basis for an operational tool for the observation of future permafrost shrinkage and thus triggered mass movement processes in mountain regions in Iceland using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data.