Contributions of Optical Remote Sensing to Permafrost Mapping in Donnelly Training Area, Alaska

Modern optical remote sensing technology and techniques able to help in the mapping of permafrost hazards in the high latitude and more cold mountains. Change in annual temperature rise and other natural as well as anthropogenic activities directly related to the large increase in the extent of permafrost degradation in the northern Alaska since 1982. Studies conduct from 2014 to 2018, and data used Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS from USGS freely downloaded. The study area is covered 1009 sq. mile in the Donnelly Training Area. Found abrupt decrease in permafrost in the Donnelly Training Area. Probability of permafrost detects by using different remote sensing indices and calculated by regression modal proposed by Wang (2017). The results showed that probabilities of permafrost gives the more indices including map gives the best result in the study area.

Citations: Jorgenson, M. Torre, Yuri L. Shur, and Erik R. Pullman. 2006. "Abrupt increase in permafrost degradation in Arctic Alaska." Geophysical Research Letters 33, no. 2, Jorgenson MT, Yoshikawa K, Kanevskiy M, Shur Y. 2008. Permafrost characteristics of Alaska. Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1 sheet, scale 1: 7,200,000.