Abstract

The authors show the differentiation of the modern aeolian landforms spatial distribution (natural and anthropogenic origin) for the northern part of the West Siberian Plain (an area of about 800 thousand km2) based on the analytical processing of Sentinel-2 satellite images (resolution 10 m/px). A deciphering technique was developed; it includes the use of unsupervised ISODATA classification algorithms, visual editing, verification of results based on high-resolution satellite images, and standard spatial analysis procedures. In total, 404,675 aeolian relief objects with a total area of 2228,18 km2 were identified. The average area of natural forms was 0,44 ha (the largest share in the Yamal district of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug – 1,02 %), the average area of anthropogenic forms – 2,84 ha (the largest share in the Purovsky district of the same region – 0,19 %). It was revealed that in the territories of oil and gas production, the maximum area of both natural and anthropogenic aeolian forms corresponds to the boundaries of the Urengoy field (19,14 and 34,58 km2, respectively). It was established that in the Yamal Peninsula, the modern aeolian relief is confined mainly to marine and hydroglacial deposits, while in that of Gydan Peninsula, a connection can be traced with glacial or marine ones that have experienced direct mechanical action of cover ice. It was revealed that the mentioned relief is often formed in areas with increased drainage, facing towards the direction of the prevailing winds in the spring-autumn period (terraces and the watershed of the Pur and Nadym rivers). The results of the study can be used at monitoring the reclamation of disturbed areas and the natural dynamics of vegetation as an indicator of global climate change in the north of Western Siberia.

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