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Earth’s Cryosphere

2021 year, number 6

THE INVENTORY OF RETROGRESSIVE THAW SLUMPS (THERMOCIRQUES) IN THE NORTH OF WEST SIBERIA BASED ON 2016-2018 SATELLITE IMAGERY MOSAIC

N.B. Nesterova1, A.V. Khomutov1,2, M.O. Leibman1,2, T.A. Safonov1, N.G. Belova2,3
1Tyumen State University, Volodarskogo str. 6, Tyumen, 625003, Russia
2Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre SB RAS, Malygina str. 86, Tyumen, 625026, Russia
3Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye Gory 1, Moscow, 119991, Russia
Keywords: thermodenudation, thermocirques, retrogressive thaw slumps, remote sensing, statistics, Yamal, Gydan, Yandex.Maps

Abstract

Remote sensing methods of retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS) - also called thermocirques (TC) - study include identification of them on vast territories. The satellite imagery mosaic of the Yandex.Maps service covering the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas was innovatively used for this purpose. All RTS (TC) occurred at the lake coasts were classified as active and stabilized, the orientation of each RTS (TC) was determined. We identified 86 active and 20 stabilized RTS in the Yamal peninsula and 224 active RTS versus 109 stabilized in Gydan. The distribution of RTS orientation was found to be not random. Multiple comparison of RTS orientation over four directions showed statistically significant predominance of Northern RTS orientation over the Eastern, as well as Western orientation over the Eastern. At the same time, none of the orientations showed statistically significant predominance over all the others. No statistically significant relationship between RTS orientation and RTS activity was found.