Remote Sensing provides detailed spatio-temporal representation of geo- and biophysical parameters. Interdisciplinary platforms are needed to get an understanding of the discipline-specific terminology, data types, usage of data, accuracy of remote sensing products and their added value for permafrost monitoring and modelling.
ESA DUE Permafrost (2009 to 2012) has established a permafrost-related monitoring system based on a first set of circumpolar and regional products: Land Surface Temperature (LST), Surface Soil Moisture (SSM), ground frozen/ non frozen state, terrain parameters, Land Cover, and surface waters. The user community comprises institutions, organizations and scientists from a wide range of subjects and interests. The user requirements had been taken into consideration for the definition of the service cases and the observation strategy. The remote sensing products are disseminated through the web portal of the TU Vienna (ipf.tuwien.ac.at/permafrost/) and through the PANGAEA publication database (pangaea.de), which provides the DOI reference for the DUE Permafrost remote sensing products.
The following questions need to be further discussed:
- How valid are the operational remote sensing products for permafrost landscapes?
- What methods are available for upscaling from ground data?
- Can Remote Sensing become operational for permafrost monitoring?
- Can satellite-observable parameters provide the evaluation, constraining and forcing for models?
Further goals of the permafrost workshop:
- Will bring together a multidisciplinary community working on permafrost-related remote sensing, field monitoring and permafrost-related modelling and climate modeling.
- Will collect and discuss the up-to-date User requirements related to monitoring and modelling.
- Will contribute to the update of the IGOS Cryosphere Theme Report (2007) for permafrost.
- Will feed into current efforts of GTN-P to build a permafrost observing component into the Sustaining Arctic Observing Network (SAON).