Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3236
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3236
11 Aug 2025
 | 11 Aug 2025
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).

Assessing spatial heterogeneity of active layer thickness over Arctic-foothills tundra through intensive field sampling and multi-source remote sensing

Jinyang Du, K. Arthur Endsley, Kazem Bakian Dogaheh, John Kimball, Mahta Moghaddam, Tom Douglas, Asem Melebari, Sepehr Eskandari, Jinhyuk Kim, Jane Whitcomb, Yuhuan Zhao, and Sophia Henze

Abstract. Active layer thickness (ALT) is an essential climate variable for monitoring permafrost degradation, whose deepening can lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions, altered hydrology and ecology, infrastructure damage, and a positive climate feedback. Quantifying ALT spatial heterogeneity remains challenging due to the influence of localized variations in terrain, microclimate, snow/soil properties, vegetation cover, and surface disturbances. It is also unclear how local ALT patterns (e.g., sub-meter to 10 m) and mechanisms scale up to broader landscape footprints (e.g., 10–1000 m) represented from global satellite observations and Earth system models. We assessed ALT spatial heterogeneity in the Arctic-foothills tundra within the Northern Slope of Alaska through intensive field sampling over four 90 m × 90 m plots, combined with multi-source remote sensing and machine learning (ML). Analysis using field observations and ML revealed that vegetation, surface wetness, subsurface rocks, and micro-topography exert strong influence on 5-m ALT variations, whereas terrain controls dominate (~65 % contribution) at coarser 10-m spatial resolution. By leveraging cm-level optical-infrared drone imagery, we further generated 0.1-m ALT maps over a larger 5 km × 5 km region and examined ALT scaling effects. Our analysis showed a quadratic relationship in scale-dependent uncertainties, characterized by a rapid increase in uncertainties at the sub-meter level (e.g., RMSE normalized by the standard deviation of 0.1 m ALT climbed by ~10 %), followed by another 10 % increase from 1 m to 30 m resolution, and more conservative error increase (~5 %) from 30 m to 1,000 m scale. Our study allows for improved interpretation of remote sensing and process-based ALT simulations for the changing Arctic by clarifying scale-dependent uncertainties and underlying mechanisms.

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Jinyang Du, K. Arthur Endsley, Kazem Bakian Dogaheh, John Kimball, Mahta Moghaddam, Tom Douglas, Asem Melebari, Sepehr Eskandari, Jinhyuk Kim, Jane Whitcomb, Yuhuan Zhao, and Sophia Henze

Status: open (until 22 Sep 2025)

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  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3236', Anonymous Referee #1, 25 Aug 2025 reply
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2025-3236', Anonymous Referee #2, 01 Sep 2025 reply
Jinyang Du, K. Arthur Endsley, Kazem Bakian Dogaheh, John Kimball, Mahta Moghaddam, Tom Douglas, Asem Melebari, Sepehr Eskandari, Jinhyuk Kim, Jane Whitcomb, Yuhuan Zhao, and Sophia Henze
Jinyang Du, K. Arthur Endsley, Kazem Bakian Dogaheh, John Kimball, Mahta Moghaddam, Tom Douglas, Asem Melebari, Sepehr Eskandari, Jinhyuk Kim, Jane Whitcomb, Yuhuan Zhao, and Sophia Henze

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Short summary
Active layer thickness (ALT) is a sensitive indicator of the thawing Alaskan frozen soil, which may lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions, vegetation changes, and infrastructure damage. This study represents a multi-scale assessment of ALT spatial variations using observations including intensive field sampling, and drone, airborne and satellite remote sensing. Our study allows for improved interpretation of remote sensing and process-based ALT simulations for the changing Arctic.
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