Small catchments: remote sensing approach for environmental research in the High Arctic

Aleksandra Wołoszyn; Iwo Wieczorek; Marek Kasprzak

doi:10.33265/polar.v45.12280

Aleksandra Wołoszyn Department of Geoinformatics and Applied Computer Science, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Krakow, Kraków, Poland; and Alfred Jahn Cold Regions Research Centre, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
Iwo Wieczorek Alfred Jahn Cold Regions Research Centre, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland; and Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1194-7860
Marek Kasprzak Alfred Jahn Cold Regions Research Centre, Faculty of Earth Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8265-8441

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v45.12280

Keywords: NDVI, NDSI, Svalbard, glacial retreat, vegetation, catchment morphometry

Abstract

This study examines the morphometric characteristics and environmental changes in 143 small catchments within Wedel Jarlsberg Land, southern Svalbard, focusing on the influence of topography on glacier retreat, lake evolution, and vegetation dynamics. The catchments analysed varied in size, with 65% smaller than 4 km². Elevation ranged from 1.9 to 1200 m a.s.l., and the catchments exhibited significant topographic variability, including steep slopes and varying exposures. Glaciers in the study area have undergone a 30% reduction in area from 1936 (228.34 km²) to 2020 (158.26 km²). This retreat has led to the expansion of glacial lakes, particularly within moraines, with a general trend towards increasing numbers and sizes of lakes over time. Vegetation changes were assessed using normalized difference vegetation index data from 1979 to 2020, revealing few increasing trends. Topographical features, including mean elevation, slope and catchment size, were analysed to understand their impact on glacial retreat and vegetation growth. The study found that mean slope and aspect had the strongest influence on vegetation dynamics, and that mean elevation and slope values have an impact on glacial retreat in the High Arctic.

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