Earth’s Cryosphere, 2017, Vol. XXI, No. 2, p. 72-78

A CANOPUS-V IMAGERYBASED STUDY OF THE SIZE-DISTRIBUTION OF SMALL LAKES IN THE DISCONTINUOUS PERMAFROST ZONE OF WESTERN SIBERIA

Yu.M. Polishchuk1,2, A.N. Bogdanov2, I.N. Muratov2, V.Yu. Polishchuk3,4

1Institute of Petroleum Chemistry, SB RAS, 4, Academicheskiy ave., Tomsk, 634021, Russia
2Ugra Research Institute of Information Technologies, 151, Mira str., Khanty-Mansiysk, 628011, Russia
3Institute of Monitoring of Climatic and Ecological Systems, SB RAS, 10/3, Academicheskiy ave., Tomsk, 634021, Russia
4National Research Tomsk Politechnic University, 30, Lenina ave., Tomsk, 634004, Russia; yupolishchuk@gmail.com

The paper presents the results of the remote sensing studies of size distribution of small thermokarst lakes using Canopus-V satellite images with high spatial resolution (2 m) obtained during the summer months of 2013–2014. In this research, a total of 18 test sites have been investigated within the area of discontinuous permafrost in Western Siberia. Results of the interpretation of satellite images allowed to determine the number of lakes, their areas, and limnicity of the surface area for each test site. It has been determined that the size-distribution of small thermokarst lakes within the study area corresponds to a power law.

Permafrost, satellite imagery, climate changes, emission of methane, small thermokarst lakes, Western Siberia

DOI: 10.21782/EC2541-9994-2017-1(72-78)