16 Oct 2026
| 16 Oct 2026
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Brief communication: Large changes in visible crevasse extent on Svalbard glaciers from 2017 to 2025, mapped with satellite embeddings
Abstract. Crevasses affect glacier dynamics, mass balance and travel safety, yet are rarely mapped across regions. We map visible crevasses on all Svalbard glaciers each year from 2017 to 2025 using AlphaEarth Foundations embeddings and a random forest ensemble, reaching 93±2 % accuracy on a withheld year. Of 817 glaciers with a significant trend, 616 lost visible crevasses, yet the regional total grew by 228 (181–281) km2 a−1. Surges cause the largest per-glacier changes, but glaciers without a recorded surge contribute comparably. Their decreases occur at low elevations, while increases concentrate in upper reaches where exposure by a rising snow line is a plausible explanation.
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