Surface temperatures and their influence on the permafrost thermal regime in high-Arctic rock walls on Svalbard

• Published in: The cryosphere Vol. 15; no. 5; pp. 2491 - 2509
• Main Authors: Schmidt, Juditha Undine, Etzelmüller, Bernd, Schuler, Thomas Vikhamar, Magnin, Florence, Boike, Julia, Langer, Moritz, Westermann, Sebastian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Norwegian
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 01.06.2021; Copernicus Publications under license by EGU – European Geosciences Union GmbH; Copernicus; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Active layer; Air temperature; Airports; Analysis; Arctic zone; Cliffs; Climate change; Climatic conditions; Coasts; Datasets; Destabilization; Energy; Energy balance; Energy dissipation; Energy loss; Energy sources; Enthalpy; Environment and Society; Environmental Sciences; Fjords; Future climates; Global Changes; Hazard assessment; Heat flux; Heat transfer; Ice; Ice environments; Latent heat; Long wave radiation; Permafrost; Polar environments; Precipitation; Radiation; Radiative forcing; Rocks; Seasons; Seawater; Sensible heat; Short wave radiation; Soil erosion; Summer; Surface energy; Surface energy balance; Surface properties; Surface temperature; Surface temperature measurements; Temperature; Temperature data; Temperature effects; Temperature measurement; Temperature range; Thermomechanical treatment; Thickness; Walls; Wind; Arctic; Arctic region
• ISSN: 1994-0424; 1994-0416; 1994-0424; 1994-0416
• DOI: 10.5194/tc-15-2491-2021

Permafrost degradation in steep rock walls and associated slope destabilization have been studied increasingly in recent years. While most studies focus on mountainous and sub-Arctic regions, the occurring thermo-mechanical processes also play an important role in the high Arctic. A more precise understanding is required to assess the risk of natural hazards enhanced by permafrost warming in high-Arctic rock walls.