Thermo‐erosional valleys in Siberian ice‐rich permafrost
2020
Morgenstern, Anne | Overduin, Pier Paul | Günther, Frank | Stettner, Samuel | Ramage, Justine | Schirrmeister, Lutz | Grigoriev, Mikhail N. | Grosse, Guido | Overduin, Pier Paul; 1 Department of Permafrost Research Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Potsdam Germany | Günther, Frank; 1 Department of Permafrost Research Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Potsdam Germany | Stettner, Samuel; 1 Department of Permafrost Research Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Potsdam Germany | Ramage, Justine; 1 Department of Permafrost Research Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Potsdam Germany | Schirrmeister, Lutz; 1 Department of Permafrost Research Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Potsdam Germany | Grigoriev, Mikhail N.; 6 Melnikov Permafrost Institute, Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences Yakutsk Russia | Grosse, Guido; 1 Department of Permafrost Research Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research Potsdam Germany
Thermal erosion is a major mechanism of permafrost degradation, resulting in characteristic landforms. We inventory thermo‐erosional valleys in ice‐rich coastal lowlands adjacent to the Siberian Laptev Sea based on remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), and field investigations for a first regional assessment of their spatial distribution and characteristics. Three study areas with similar geological (Yedoma Ice Complex) but diverse geomorphological conditions vary in valley areal extent, incision depth, and branching geometry. The most extensive valley networks are incised deeply (up to 35 m) into the broad inclined lowland around Mamontov Klyk. The flat, low‐lying plain forming the Buor Khaya Peninsula is more degraded by thermokarst and characterized by long valleys of lower depth with short tributaries. Small, isolated Yedoma Ice Complex remnants in the Lena River Delta predominantly exhibit shorter but deep valleys. Based on these hydrographical network and topography assessments, we discuss geomorphological and hydrological connections to erosion processes. Relative catchment size along with regional slope interact with other Holocene relief‐forming processes such as thermokarst and neotectonics. Our findings suggest that thermo‐erosional valleys are prominent, hitherto overlooked permafrost degradation landforms that add to impacts on biogeochemical cycling, sediment transport, and hydrology in the degrading Siberian Yedoma Ice Complex.
Show more [+] Less [-]Christiane Nüsslein‐Volhard Foundation
Show more [+] Less [-]European Research Council http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000781
Show more [+] Less [-]German Academic Exchange Service DAAD P.R.I.M.E.
Show more [+] Less [-]Helmholtz‐Gemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001656
Show more [+] Less [-]Polar Geospatial Center, NSF‐OPP awards
Show more [+] Less [-]RapidEye Science Archive (RESA)
Show more [+] Less [-]Russian Foundation for Basic Research http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002261
Show more [+] Less [-]Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004350
Show more [+] Less [-]Universität Potsdam http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004238
Show more [+] Less [-]BMBF KoPf
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