• Research dataclose
• 2013-2022close
• European Commission close
• EC|H2020 close
• Nunataryuk close
• English close
• PANGAEA close
• Rural Digital Europe close

Permafrost thaw and ice wedge degradation lead to drastic landscape changes in the permafrost region. With this data set we investigated the cliff retreat of the Sobo-Sise Cliff (SSC), a high ice-bearing yedoma cliff in the Lena River Delta. The 1,660 m long cliff SSC extends from 72°32'34 N / 128°15'59 E to 72°32'06 N / 128°18'21 E and is located on the Sardakhskaya channel, which is one of the main Lena river branches in the Lena River Delta. Erosion rates for the SSC were determined based on satellite images from different sensors (Corona, Hexagon, Landsat, Planet cube-sat) for the period 1965-2018. Cliff front lines were manually digitized and erosion rates were calculated with the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tool (Himmelstoos et al. 2018). The study Fuchs et al. (2020) (DOI:10.3389/feart.2020.00336) shows that the up to 27.7 m high SSC erodes in average 15.7 m yr-1 (2015-2018). During the entire observed time period from 1965-2018, the SSC retreated in average 484 m (ranging from 322 - 680 m). This dataset includes the mean annual erosion rates of the yedoma SSC for the time periods 1965-1975, 1975-2000, 2000-2005, 2005-2010, 2010-2015, and 2015-2018, as well as the absolute cliff retreat rates over the entire period 1965-2018, which are derived from remote sensing imagery analyzed with the DSAS tool (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.918505). Related trend data for this region, based on Landsat trend analysis are available at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.884136 (Nitze, 2018).

Narrowing uncertainties about carbon cycling is important in the Arctic where rapid environmental changes contribute to enhanced mobilization of carbon. Here we quantify soil organic carbon (SOC) contents of permafrost soils along the Yukon Coastal Plain and determine the annual fluxes from erosion. Different terrain units are assessed based on surficial geology, morphology, and ground ice conditions. To account for the volume of wedge ice and massive ice in a unit, sample SOC contents are reduced by 19% and sediment contents by 16%. The SOC content in a 1 m**2 column of soil varies according to the height of the bluff, ranging from 30 to 662 kg, with a mean value of 183 kg. Forty-four per cent of the SOC is within the top 1 m of soil and values vary based on surficial materials, ranging from 30 to 53 kg C/m**3, with a mean of 41 kg. Eighty per cent of the shoreline is erosive with a mean annual rate of change is 0.7 m/a. This results in a SOC flux per meter of shoreline of 131 kg C/m/a, and a total flux for the entire Yukon coast of 35.5 10**6 kg C/a (0.036 Tg C/a). The mean flux of sediment per meter of shoreline is 5.3 10**3 kg/m/a, with a total flux of 1,832.0 10**6 kg/a (1.832 Tg/a). Sedimentation rates indicate that approximately 13% of the eroded carbon is sequestered in nearshore sediments, where the overwhelming majority of organic carbon is of terrestrial origin. Supplement to: Couture, Nicole; Irrgang, Anna Maria; Pollard, Wayne H; Lantuit, Hugues; Fritz, Michael (2018): Coastal Erosion of Permafrost Soils Along the Yukon Coastal Plain and Fluxes of Organic Carbon to the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) applications often require normalization to a common incidence angle. Angular signatures of radar backscatter depend on surface roughness and vegetation cover, and thus differ, from location to location. Comprehensive reference datasets are therefore required in heterogeneous landscapes. Multiple acquisitions from overlapping orbits with sufficient incidence angle range are processed in order to obtain parameters of the location specific normalization function. We propose a simpler method for C-band data, using single scenes only. It requires stable dielectric properties (no variations of liquid water content). This method is therefore applicable for frozen conditions. Winter C-band data have been shown of high value for a number of applications in high latitudes before. In this paper we explore the relationship of incidence angle and Sentinel-1 backscatter across the tundra to boreal transition zone. A linear relationship (coefficient of determination R2 = 0.64) can be found between backscatter and incidence angle dependence (slope of normalization function) as determined by multiple acquisitions on a pixel by pixel basis for typical land cover classes in these regions. This allows a simplified normalization and thus reduced processing effort for applications over larger areas.The following regions are covered in the dataset: Yamal peninsula (Russia), Usa Basin (Russia), Lena Delta (Russia), Mackenzie Delta (Canada), Barrow, Toolik and Teshekpuk Lake region (Alaska). Supplement to: Widhalm, Barbara; Bartsch, Annett; Goler, Robert (2018): Simplified Normalization of C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar Data for Terrestrial Applications in High Latitude Environments. Remote Sensing, 10(4), 551

Permafrost thaw and ice wedge degradation lead to drastic landscape changes in the permafrost region. With this data set we investigated the cliff retreat of the Sobo-Sise Cliff (SSC), a high ice-bearing yedoma cliff in the Lena River Delta. The 1,660 m long cliff SSC extends from 72°32'34 N / 128°15'59 E to 72°32'06 N / 128°18'21 E and is located on the Sardakhskaya channel, which is one of the main Lena river branches in the Lena River Delta. Erosion rates for the SSC were determined based on satellite images from different sensors (Corona, Hexagon, Landsat, Planet cube-sat) for the period 1965-2018. Cliff front lines were manually digitized and erosion rates were calculated with the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) tool (Himmelstoos et al. 2018). The study Fuchs et al. (2020) (doi:10.3389/feart.2020.00336) shows that the up to 27.7 m high SSC erodes in average 15.7 m yr-1 (2015-2018). During the entire observed time period from 1965-2018, the SSC retreated in average 484 m (ranging from 322 - 680 m). This data set compilation consist of three GIS shapefiles with a corresponding metadata file derived from remote sensing imagery analyzed with the DSAS tool. In addition, the cliff front lines for each investigated time step are provided as well as the separation between yedoma and alas deposits for each time step. Related trend data for this region, based on Landsat trend analysis are available at: doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.884136 (Nitze, 2018).