MAPPING OF GIANT AUFEIS FIELDS OF NORTH-EAST RUSSIA
O.M. Makarieva1,2, V.R. Alexeev1, A.N. Shikhov3, N.V. Nesterova2,4, A.A. Ostashov4, A.A. Zemlyanskova2,4, A.V. Semakina5
1Melnikov Permafrost Institute, SB RAS, Merzlotnaya str. 36, Yakutsk, 677010, Russia
2St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya embankment 7-9, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
3Perm State University, Bukireva str. 15, Perm, 614990, Russia
4North-Eastern Permafrost Station, Portovaya str. 16, Magadan, 685070, Russia
5Roslesinforg, Marshrutnaya str. 14, Perm, 614990, Russia
Keywords: aufeis fields, mapping, atlas, Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite data, aufeis Cadastre, GIS database, North-East Russia
Abstract
Aufeis fields (or icings) are widespread in the North-East of Russia, and have a substantial impact on many components of landscapes. The public availability of Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite data has opened up new opportunities for aufeis mapping. Based on satellite images, we have compiled an up-to-date GIS dataset of aufeis fields in the North-East of Russia, and also have analyzed the long-term and seasonal variability of the largest aufeis. Based on the synthesis of historical (obtained in the middle of the 20th century using aerial photography) and satellite data on aufeis, we have prepared a new cartographic product - the Atlas of giant aufeis-taryn of the North-East of Russia. The Atlas had been published in 2021. In this paper, we have considered the approaches to aufeis mapping used in creating the Atlas, and have presented the main characteristics of the aufeis fields based on historical and satellite data. In total, according to Landsat images obtained in 2013-2020, we have found and delineated 9306 aufeis with a total area of 4854.5 km2. According to satellite images, 1146 are giant aufeis, i.e. they cover an area of over 1 km2. For these giant aufeis, we have analyzed long-term and seasonal dynamics of their area based on satellite images obtained for the period from the 1970s to the present. On this basis, a series of image-based maps have been created, which are also included in the content of the Atlas. We have not found a substantial reduction in their area between 1970s and the present for most of the giant aufeis. We also have found that the largest aufeis in the north-east of Russia is located in the basin of the Syuryuktyah river. Its area immediately after snowmelt period is on average 14.4 km2 larger than the area of the Bolshaya Momskaya aufeis, which had been previously considered as the largest aufeis in Russia.
|
