TESTING OPTICAL SPECTRAL INDICES FOR ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE CHANGES DUE TO PERMAFROST MELTING ON LIVINGSTON ISLAND, ANTARCTICA

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the potential of optical satellite data and spectral indices to assess surface changes induced by permafrost melting. Surface changes related to permafrost melting on Livingston Island, Antarctica were examined using optical satellite data from Sentinel-2 sensors of the European Space Agency (ESA). The study area coincides with previous field studies by electrical resistivity tomographic profiles made to establish and visualize the presence of permafrost. Utilizing the advantages of remote sensing methods and calculation of optical indices, it was tracked whether and to what extent there was a surface change and melting of the permafrost in the study area. The observation period encompasses the astral summer seasons from 2016 to 2023. The results show that the combination of different optical indices gives a better understanding of changes in the terrain. The combined use of the Normalized Difference Glacier Index (NDGI), Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI), Normalized Difference Snow and Ice Index (NDSII), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Moisture Stress Index (MSI) indicates for a pronounced trend of melting of the active layer of the permafrost periglacial area of research in March 2016 and 2017, and from January to mid of March 2023.