Geological Engineering Commons^™

Application Of Remote Sensing For Permafrost Monitoring In Alaska, Iuliia V. Tcibulnikova

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Permafrost covers about 85% of the state of Alaska; it is a fragile cryogenic phenomenon prone to degradation under thermal and mechanical (natural and anthropogenic) influences. This research analyzes the application of remote sensing for permafrost monitoring in the Prudhoe Bay area, Alaska. Thawing thermokarst lakes are assessed as the signs of permafrost degradation. Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was used to detect thaw lakes in Landsat-8 satellite imagery within the 529-km² study area in 2013 and 2020. The lakes were then mapped according to their size and growth rate. Lakes do not grow uniformly; some lakes grow while …