Detailed Geomorphological Mapping Research Articles

Morphological characterization and detailed geomorphological mapping based on GIS and remote sensing applications for environment sustainability: a case study on the northern slope of Welirang Young Volcano, Maspo Sub-watershed

Morphological characterization and detailed geomorphological mapping based on GIS and remote sensing applications for environment sustainability: a case study on the northern slope of Welirang Young Volcano, Maspo Sub-watershed

Late Pleistocene to Holocene glacial, periglacial, and paraglacial geomorphology of the upper Río Limarí basin (30–31° S) in the Andes of central Chile

ABSTRACT We present a field-based reconstruction of the geomorphology in the Subtropical Andean mountains of the Limarí basin, semiarid central Chile (30–31° S). Fieldwork campaigns and remote-sensing analysis served for detailed geomorphological mapping at four formerly glaciated valleys in the heads of the Combarbalá and Río Hurtado sub-basins. We identify a mosaic of glacial, periglacial, and paraglacial landforms. Glacial landforms include a massive dead-ice moraine complex, with thermokarst and debris-filled fractures suggesting former ice-cored moraine degradation. This landform is superimposed by transversal and arcuate ridges suggesting active-ice processes. Periglacial landforms such as rock glaciers, gelifluction, and protalus lobes occur in cirques and U-shaped valleys, but also on moraine deposits. Paraglacial processes are indicated by talus accumulation in those formerly glaciated slopes. The geomorphological imprint is evidence for the interaction and succession between glacial, periglacial, and paraglacial dynamics from the Late Pleistocene to the present.

Geospatial Tool-Based Geomorphological Mapping of The Lower Kulsi Basin, India

Detailed geomorphological map of a region provides necessary information on landforms to understand the variations of surface and subsurface processes. Geomorphological maps prepared based on a combined geospatial and field-observation approach are preliminary data for precise, prompt, and efficient watershed-level planning. The Kulsi is a significant left-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra. It has potential for agricultural, land, and water resources, but the region needs to catch up due to frequent climatic-geomorphic hazards. Therefore, this article aims to prepare an object-oriented detailed geomorphological map using geospatial tools. High-resolution satellite images and a digital elevation model were used to generate the detailed geomorphological map of the studied area. The resultant map is verified with extensive fieldwork. The investigated basin is characterized by structural and denudation hills, anthropogenetic escarpment; pediment plain, older and young alluvial plain; active and older flood plain; islands and sandbar deposits, and highly sinuous river and natural and artificial surface waterbodies. The research can contribute to local governments' and communities' land and water resource development plans. Keywords: geomorphology, morphometry, satellite image, Geographic Information System

High-resolution optical remote sensing geomorphological mapping of coral reef: Supporting conservation and management of marine protected áreas

Brazilian corals are unique ecosystems with high endemism and low functional redundancy. Hence, mapping its geomorphology is an important step to inferring analyzes on benthic habitats. We observe several difficulties during this mapping of coastal areas by remote sensing and a lack of fine-scale depth data for reef areas in Brazil. The present study aims to present the bathymetry extracted by satellite imagery in murky waters using a mosaic of Sentinel-2 images in Google Earth Engine (GEE) calibrated with field samples. We used the satellite extracted DBM to map the bottom geomorphology through BTM (Benthic Terrain Modeler). We then present the first detailed geomorphological map for the largest marine coastal protected area in Brazil- MPA Costa dos Corais. The geomorphological raster was differentiated into seven classes: Flat Plains, Depressions, Gentle Slopes, Slopes, Terrestrial Reef Flat, Reef Flat, and Crest. Altogether, we estimate >275 km2 of area representing reef structures (coral reef or beachrocks), or about 48% of the total MPA area. Mapping coral reefs can contribute to conservation, particularly in selecting areas for in situ monitoring activities and in prioritizing the application of remedial actions in the event of environmental disasters or threats to coral health, such as oil spills and bleaching episodes. Our findings encourage the applicability of these methodologies in other reef areas and collaborate for the management and monitoring of marine protected areas. In addition, all mapping is available online for any user.

Geomorphology of the Central Kamchatka Depression, the Kamchatka Peninsula, NE Pacific

ABSTRACT The Kamchatka Peninsula lies on the eastern active margin of Eurasia, adjacent to the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone. In this study, we provide a geomorphological map of the Central Kamchatka Depression – the largest sedimentary basin in Kamchatka and also in all the island arcs of the North Pacific. The depression extends along Kamchatka at latitudes ∼44–46° N for more than 400 km and is up to 100 km wide. The geomorphological map of the Central Kamchatka Depression is designed at a scale of 1:500,000 and contains ∼3000 mapped objects. Volcanic and tectonic landforms have been collected from published sources and generalised to the map scale. Glacial and fluvial landforms have been mapped using remote sensing data and field geomorphological surveys. Areas of ambiguous interpretation have been outlined. This map is the most detailed geomorphological map published for this region that may guide further geomorphological and paleogeographical investigations.

Geomorphological record of the glacial to periglacial transition from the Bølling–Allerød to the Holocene in the Central Pyrenees: the Lòcampo cirque in the regional context

In the highest tributaries of the Upper Garonne Basin, Central Pyrenees, cirques up to 2600 m a.s.l. were already deglaciated by 15–14 ka. The long‐term deglaciation during Termination‐1 (T‐1) was interrupted by glacial advances within the cirques during the Bølling–Allerød (B‐A) interstadial and the Younger Dryas stadial. The cirques preserve a variety of glacial and periglacial landforms whose chronologies are poorly known. This study is focused on the Lòcampo cirque (42°38′06″N and 0°59′10″E), Upper Garonne Basin, where a detailed geomorphological map and 10Be terrestrial cosmic ray exposure (CRE) dating allowed us to constrain the chrono‐sequence between the glacial and periglacial domains. In the small Lòcampo cirque, a glacier formed a cirque moraine between 2200 and 2300 m a.s.l., which surrounds a relict rock glacier encompassing several transversal ridges. Additionally, longitudinal ridges typically observed in debris‐covered glaciers are preserved between the moraine and the rock glacier. The eight‐sample data set of CRE ages indicates the formation of the cirque moraine during the second half of the B‐A, by 13.2±1.1 ka. Exposure ages from the rock glacier boulders show a range between 13.6±0.9 and 11.9±0.7 ka, which did not allow its formation to be chronologically constrained. Therefore, the environmental evolution following the moraine stabilization could follow the formation of a debris‐covered glacier at the bottom of the Lòcampo cirque, with the subsequent formation of the rock glacier. After the rock glacier formation, its front rapidly ceased at 13.6±0.9 ka, while the upper ridges gradually stabilized until it became definitively relict at 11.9±0.7 ka or afterwards. These results show evidence of the complex glacial to periglacial transition that needs more robust chronological data sets to better understand the role of climate forcing and local topography during the deglaciation in mid‐latitude mountain environments.

Detailed and Semi-detailed Geomorphological Maps: A review of relief representation in thesis by the São Paulo state’s geography postgraduate programs by the beginning of the 21st century (2001-2018)

This study investigates the semi-detailed and detailed geomorphological mapping produced by researchers in the State of São Paulo in the beginning of the 21st century, considering its diversity of methods and symbology. 22 academic productions were analyzed. Criteria for selection were: year of publication, scale, possibility of downloadability, legibility and description of procedures. Scales ranged from 1:60.000 to 1:5.000. Different objectives were verified and grouped into 4 main categories: 1) Urban and/or Environmental Planning; 2) (Geo) Enviromental Zoning; 3) Environmental Vulnerability or Fragility; and 4) Geomorphological and/or Enviromental Analysis. References most cited were Tricart (1965), Verstappen & Zuidam (1975) and Ab’Saber (1969). Most research employed adaptations from two or more references. Most publications belonged to IGCE-UNESP program. We concluded that diversity of legends is mainly related to 8 factors corroborating the literature: 1) three-dimensionality of the terrain and bi-dimensionality of the map; 2) great number of the nature of represented attributes; 3) representation of both qualitative and quantitative data; 4) employment of three types of plotting information; 5) contradictions between legibility and academic interests; 6) time-space scales; 7) different types of landscapes; and 8) different objectives of research.

Pleistocene Glaciations of the Northwest of Iberia: Glacial Maximum Extent, Ice Thickness, and ELA of the Soajo Mountain

Soajo Mountain is located in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula near the border between Portugal and Spain. Its highest elevation is 1416 m at the Pedrada summit. During the Pleistocene, the cascade cirques on the east flank and the icefield that covered the flattened surface of the high plateau generated several glacier valleys. This study presents a paleoglacial reconstruction of the relict glacial landscape in Soajo Mountain for the Glacial Maximum Extent (GME) through the following methods: (1) a detailed geomorphological map supported by high-resolution orthophotography, digital elevation models with a spatial resolution of 70 cm, and field surveys; (2) the delineation of the glacial surface, and the calculation of the glacial flowlines to obtain the numerical model of the ice thickness; and (3) an estimation of the paleoELA altitudes. The paleoglacial reconstruction, using GlaRe methodology, reveals a glacial surface of 16 km2, including an icefield on the Lamas de Vez plateau (mean elevation of 1150 m) and a radial glacial flow to the east and north. The arrangement of the glaciated area attests to the topographic, lithological, and structural conditioning on the development of small glacial tongues, with an emphasis on the ice tongue flowing northwards, with a thickness of 173 m and a length of 2.92 km. The Soajo GME paleoglacier comprises three main glacial sectors: Lamas de Vez Icefield, Vez and Aveleira Valleys, and the Eastern Glacial Sector. These paleoglaciers have achieved maximum ice volumes of 214.4 hm3, 269.2 hm3, and 115.8 hm3, respectively, with maximum ice thicknesses of 127 m, 173 m, and 118 m, respectively. On the west flank, a smaller paleoglacier named Branda da Gémea recorded an ice volume of 24.3 hm3 and a maximum ice thickness of 110 m. According to the ELA-AABR method, Soajo Mountain has one of the lowest ELA values in the Iberian NW, ranging from 1085 to 1057 m. This is due to its oceanic location, an orographic barrier effect, and the influence of the polar front.

Formation of crevasse‐squeeze ridges at Trygghamna, Svalbard

AbstractCrevasse‐squeeze ridges (CSRs) are landforms that have been unequivocally linked to surge‐type glaciers. The formation of CSRs has been discussed since they were first defined in the mid‐1980s. Here, we describe geometric CSR networks from the terrestrial glacier forefields of two glaciers in Trygghamna, Western Svalbard. No glacier surges have been observed in Trygghamna; however, the presence of the CSRs signifies past surge activity. Detailed geomorphological maps were constructed, and the spatial context of these landforms described. Cross‐sections of several CSRs highlight ridge architecture, structure and relationships to surrounding landforms and sediments. Most CSRs are symmetrical in cross‐profile, orientated perpendicular or oblique to the ice‐flow direction. Like previous investigations, we observe these ridge networks on top of till and flutes. Additionally, we, for the first time, document CSRs deposited directly on non‐glaciogenic subsurfaces, namely, beach gravels and bedrock. Our findings confirm previous CSR formation theories; basal sediments are squeezed into bottom‐up crevasses during surges, which are subsequently transported englacially until surge termination and are finally released by melt out from stagnant ice. Consequently, a network of CSRs is the product of a significant reorganisation and down‐glacier transport of basal sediment, exemplifying how single surges are agents of glacial sediment redistribution. These formation processes are illustrated in a refined schematic model. The results further contemporary understanding of CSRs in terrestrial surge‐type glacier settings and may also apply to landforms and sediments in certain marine settings and palaeoglacial environments.

Geomorphological mapping and landform characterization of Semeru volcano after the eruption in 2021

The eruption of the Semeru volcano in 2021 has diverse impacts on the landscape and surroundings. It is essential to detect recent landscape features to promptly evacuate personnel and property near the volcano and take emergency treatment measures in case of sudden danger. This study presents a detailed geomorphological map on a 1:50.000 scale for the Semeru volcano after the eruption in 2021. The analysis of the hybrid approach and the on-screen image interpretation (OSII) method on DEM data, optical satellites, and lithology units was carried out to obtain morphological, morphochronological, and morphoarrangement information. While, morphoprocess information was obtained through field observations. We used DAS Rejali for our study area. The results of identifying geomorphological conditions divide the Rejali watershed area into 32 landforms consisting of landform units from volcanic, structural, fluvial, and marine processes. Twenty-three land units in the research location are landforms from volcanic processes. This condition causes morphological conditions, material availability, and processes that dominantly reflect the characteristics of an active volcano. In addition, the landform units from the fluvial process in the Rejali watershed area were identified as many as six units in the form of floodplains of lahar flows along the main river. Landforms with structural genesis were placed in Mandalika formation and diorite rock breakthrough. The structural formation in the Rejali watershed has retention and rock structures that are not easily eroded by water. It becomes a bottleneck formation as a barrier between the upstream and middle areas

Efficient geomorphological mapping based on geographic information systems and remote sensing data: an example from Jena, Germany

ABSTRACT We present a detailed geomorphological map (1:5000-scale) of a middle mountainous area in Jena, Germany. To overcome limitations and to extend the possibility of manually digital mapping in a structural way, we propose an approach using geographic information systems (GIS) and high-resolution digital data. The geomorphological map features were extracted by manually interpreting and analyzing the combination of different data sources using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. A combination of topographic and geological maps, digital orthophotos (DOPs), Google Earth images, field investigations, and derivatives from digital terrain models (DTMs) revealed that it is possible to generate the geomorphologic features involved in classical mapping approaches. LiDAR-DTM and land surface parameters (LSPs) can provide better results when incorporating the visual interpretation of multidirectional hillshade and LSP composite maps.Findings enabled us to systematically delineate landforms and geomorphological process domains. We suggest that further use of digital data should be undertaken to support analysis and applications.

Geomorphological characterization, remote sensing monitoring, and modeling of a slow-moving landslide in Alcoy (Southern Spain)

In the present paper, an active landslide located to the southeast of the urban area of Alcoy (Alicante, Spain) is analysed. This landslide affects the N-340 road, as well as an area in which some industrial buildings dated from the fifteenth century and catalogued as Places of Cultural Interest are placed. This region is characterised by the existence of a steep relief composed of materials from the Miocene to the present, on which many gravitational movements are developed. The displacements have been analysed using high-resolution spotlight mode SAR images captured by the Spanish SAR satellite PAZ (which operates at X-band), which were processed by advanced differential SAR Interferometry (A-DInSAR). The behaviour of the instability has been determined using InSAR-derived time series displacement maps. Additionally, the study has been completed with a detailed geomorphological mapping at 1:2000 scale and an analysis of structural damage carried out in situ. The landslide was modelled in 3D, from a deterministic and probabilistic point of view, confirming the global instability of the area and the relationship of the landslide with rainfall and the construction of a new road. The integration of all this information obtained and its subsequent analysis has made possible to precisely define the extension of the instability, its kinematics, and to identify the main triggering factors. This information will be crucial for the proper management of this landslide by the local authorities.

Geomorphological evolution of the western piedmont of Cumbres Calchaquíes (Tucumán Province, NW Argentina)

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to present a detailed geomorphological map of the western piedmont of Cumbres Calchaquíes (Tucumán Province, NW Argentina) bounded by the Amaicha River to the south and the administrative border with Salta Province to the north. It contains information about geomorphological units, their relative ages, and morphogenetic processes. The main map shows the presence of seven aggradation stages separated by incision phases. The first three stages (St1, St2, and St3) were modeled on a thick accumulation located in the upper piedmont from the Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene. Intermediate stages (St4 and St5) are alluvial fans and pediments with less thickness and gradient. They cover the Early Pleistocene (St4) and the Late Pleistocene-Middle Holocene (St5). Finally, stages St6 and St7 are from the Upper Holocene.

Formation and modification of wrinkle ridges in the central Tharsis region of Mars as constrained by detailed geomorphological mapping and landsystem analysis

Wrinkle ridges are common landforms documented on all rocky planets and the Moon in the inner solar system. Despite the long research history, their formation mechanisms remain debated. A key unresolved issue is whether the wrinkle-ridge formation is related to igneous processes. This is because wrinkle ridges are mostly associated in space and possibly in time with the occurrence of flood-basalt volcanism in all cases on the rocky bodies in the inner solar system. To address this issue, we conducted geomorphological mapping, a topographic-data analysis, and a detailed landform analysis of satellite images at a resolution of 25 cm/pixel to 6 m/pixel in the central Tharsis region of Mars. The main results of this work are in the form of (1) a regional geomorphological map at a resolution of 6 m/pixel and (2) a local geomorphological map at a resolution of 50 cm/pixel. Our work suggests the following sequence of geological events in the study area: (1) formation of a northeast-trending mountain range (i.e., the Thaumasia plateau) along the eastern margin of the Tharsis rise resulting from the Himalayan-style crustal-scale thrusting; (2) coeval volcanic-plateau construction west of the thrusting-induced rising mountain range; (3) termination of east-flowing lavas sourced from the volcanic plateau at the rising mountain range to the east; (4) wrinkle-ridge development by folding in recently emplaced warm, ductile volcanic-lava piles; (5) emplacement of a regionally extensive ice sheet over the central Tharsis region that produced extensive boulder-bearing materials, striated surfaces, and boulder-bearing dendritic-ridge networks possibly representing glacial eskers; and (6) deposition of locally highly concentrated glacial flours during deglaciation that resulted in the formation of mantled terrain on plains between wrinkle ridges. Our work supports the early suggestion that the Tharsis wrinkle ridges were created by horizontal shortening induced by crustal-scale tectonic processes. In detail, however, the occurrence of flow-front-like margins of many mapped wrinkle ridges suggests their formation by ductile deformation, which we attribute to the thermally weakened lava piles emplaced during or immediately before the folding event. Our compression-induced wrinkle-ridge model also differs from the early hypotheses in that the thin-skinned folding is associated with basement subduction, which explains the lack of coeval and parallel folding and extensional faulting. Post-folding glacial modification means that the present wrinkle-ridge morphologies may differ significantly from the original fold shapes, which prevents the utility of using present-day topographic profiles across wrinkle ridges for inverting the underlying thrust geometries.

Observations and interpretations of geomorphologic features in the Tianwen-1 landing area on Mars by using orbital imagery data

China’s first Mars exploration mission, Tianwen-1, successfully landed in southern Utopia Planitia on Mars on May 15, 2021. This work presents a detailed investigation of the geologic context of the landing area surface for this mission based on orbital remote-sensing data. We constructed a geomorphologic map for the Tianwen-1 landing area. Results of our detailed geomorphologic map show several major landforms within the landing area, including rampart craters, mesas, troughs, cones, and ridges. Analysis of materials on the landing area surface indicates that most of the landing area is covered by Martian dust. Transverse aeolian ridges are widely distributed within the landing area, indicating the surface contexts were (and still are) modified by regional winds. In addition, a crater counting analysis indicates the landing area has an absolute model age of ~3.3 Ga and that a later resurfacing event occurred at ~1.6 Ga. Finally, we outline four formational scenarios to test the formation mechanisms for the geomorphologic features on the landing area surface. The most likely interpretation to explain the existence of the observed surface features can be summarized as follows: A thermal influence may have played an important role in the formation of the surface geomorphologic features; thus, igneous-related processes may have occurred in the landing area. Water ice may also have been involved in the construction of the primordial surface configuration. Subsequent resurfacing events and aeolian processes buried and modified the primordial surface.

Enhancing the Identification and Mapping of Fluvial Terraces Combining Geomorphological Field Survey with Land-Surface Quantitative Analysis

A methodological approach to refining the identification and mapping of fluvial terraces has been applied, combining geomorphological field surveys with the computation and assessment of different morphometric parameters (local, statistical, and object-oriented), derived from a high-resolution digital terrain model (DTM) obtained from a LiDAR survey. The mid-sector floodplain of the Misa River basins was taken as a valid example of the main river valleys draining the northern Marche Apennines (Italy) and was considered an ideal site to test a combination of different geomorphological techniques for enhancing fluvial terraces’ detection and mapping. In this area, late Pleistocene–Holocene fluvial terraces are well exposed, and their geomorphological and geochronological characteristics have largely already been studied. However, a reliable distinction of the different Holocene terrace levels, including a detailed geomorphological mapping of different terrace features, is still lacking due to the very complex terrace geometry and the lack of good-quality deposit outcrops. Land-surface quantitative (LSQ) analysis has been coupled with the available outcomes of previous studies and ad-hoc geomorphological field surveys to enhance the identification and mapping of fluvial terraces. The results of this work provided information for the discernment of terrace remnants belonging to the full-glacial fill terrace generation (late Pleistocene) as well as reconstruction of the terrace top–surface, and can be used to distinguish the inner terrace limits coinciding with the margin of the floodplain. It has also been possible to identify and delimit the late Pleistocene terrace from a staircase of three younger strath terraces formed during the Holocene. The results of this study demonstrated that the investigation of fluvial landforms, at different scales, can strongly benefit from the integration of field surveys and quantitative geomorphic analysis based on high-resolution digital topographic datasets. In particular, the integration of LSQ analysis with ground-truth geomorphological data can be dramatically helpful for the identification and mapping of fluvial terraces.

Surge-type Uisu glacier and its undisturbed forefield relief, Eastern Pamir, Tajikistan

Abstract The surge-type Uisu glacier and its forefield in the Tajik part of Eastern Pamir are described. To this end, 1977–2019 Landsat satellite imagery, the DEM, and a high-resolution orthophotomap were used, and detailed geomorphological mapping was carried out. The results show that the present-day position of the terminus of the studied glacier results from a surge that occurred before 1947. Currently, the glacier is losing mass. However, despite the visible characteristics of its thawing, the extent of the terminal zone has remained stable for several decades. Outside the glacier, there are no glacial landforms. This indicates that advances of surging glaciers may not create any surge-diagnostic features in their forefields. On the other hand, the genesis and interactions of landforms can reveal glacier surge, even in the absence of terminal and lateral glacial landforms.

Glacio-Geomorphological Investigation and Deglaciation pattern of Nehnar valley, North Western Himalayas

Glacial landforms are pieces of evidence to comprehend the glaciological past and paleoclimatic conditions in the region. In paleo-glacial reconstructions, a critical geomorphological context is provided for determining glacial chronologies. The study provides a detailed geomorphological mapping and investigation of the Nehnar valley, NW Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir, India. To map the glaciogeomorphological features, the study uses LISS-IV (5.8 m resolution) and Google Earth Pro (1 m resolution) images as well as morphological sketches and GPS data collected during field visits. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Digital Elevation Model (ASTER-DEM, 30m resolution) has also been used to enhance the morphological and elevation characterization of glacial features. A host of glacial features like lateral and terminal moraines, serrate, debris cones, moulins and outwash plains are among several others mapped in the study region. Using dating techniques, the spatial data on glacial landform features in the area can be used to guide the reconstruction of paleo-glaciological setups. This fills in some of the gaps in our knowledge about glaciation in the Kashmir Himalaya during the Pleistocene.

Geomorphological Analysis of Ayad River Basin, Udaipur (India) using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Geomorphological analysis is useful for managing land resources and aid in resource inventory, mapping, and management for a variety of purposes. The science of geomorphology is now better able to comprehend surface dynamics because to recent improvements in remote sensing and GIS, the availability of satellite-based DEM, and improvements in mathematical modelling skills. The study is emphasis on utilization of secondary data which have been compiled from different sources e.g. SOI, USGS, NBSS&LUP, GSI. LULC, drainage, river-lake link, soil, geology, landform, geomorphology have been analyzed based on satellite imagery, DEM, toposheet, and other secondary data. Dendritic and sub-dendritic drainage pattern is common in Ayad basin and drainage density is ranging between 0.46 and 3.45 (Km/Km2). Eight artificial lakes are linked together in a chain in the saucer-shaped valley, which is the first historic river linking project in India. Lithology ranging in age from Archaean to Upper Proterozoic are present and belong to three geological cycles - Bhilwara, Aravalli, and Delhi supergroups. Landforms of the area are mainly lower-flat, and ridge cover only 13% of the area. A very detailed geomorphological map has developed by visual image interpretation of satellite imagery, DEM data, toposheets, geological map and classified in 13 broad geomorphic units, and 63 micro-geomorphic units. Through the percentage hypsometric curve method, the hypsometric integral is 27% which indicates the old stage of the basin.

Transitional rock glaciers at sea level in northern Norway

Abstract. Rock glaciers are geomorphological expressions of permafrost. Close to sea level in northernmost Norway, in the subarctic Nordkinn peninsula, we have observed several rock glaciers that appear to be active now or were active in the recent past. Active rock glaciers at this elevation have never before been described in Fennoscandia, and they are outside the climatic limits of present-day permafrost according to models. In this study, we have investigated whether or not these rock glaciers are active under the current climate situation. We made detailed geomorphological maps of three rock glacier areas in Nordkinn and investigated the regional ground dynamics using synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR). One of the rock glaciers, namely the Ivarsfjorden rock glacier, was investigated in more detail by combining observations of vertical and horizontal changes from optical images acquired by airborne and terrestrial sensors and terrestrial laser scans (TLSs). The subsurface of the same rock glacier was investigated using a combination of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and refraction seismic tomography (RST). We also measured ground surface temperatures between 2016 and 2020, complemented by investigations using an infrared thermal camera, and a multi-decadal climatic analysis. We mapped the rock glaciers in the innermost parts of Store and Lille Skogfjorden as relict, while the more active ones are in the mouths of both fjords, fed by active talus in the upper slopes. Several of the rock glaciers cross over both the Younger Dryas shoreline (25 m a.s.l.) and the Early to Mid-Holocene shoreline at 13 m a.s.l. Both InSAR and optical remote sensing observations reveal low yearly movement rates (centimetres to millimetres per year). The ERT and RST suggest that there is no longer permafrost and ground ice in the rock glacier, while temperature observations on the front slope indicate freezing conditions also in summer. Based on the in situ temperature measurements and the interpolated regional temperature data, we show that the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) of the region has risen by 2 ∘C since the late 19th century to about 1.5 ∘C in the last decade. MAATs below 0 ∘C 100–150 years ago suggest that new rock glacier lobes may have formed at the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA). These combined results indicate that the Nordkinn rock glaciers are transitioning from active to relict stages. The study shows that transitional rock glaciers are still affected by creep, rock falls, snow avalanches, etc., and are not entirely dynamically dead features. Our contrasting results concerning permafrost presence and rock glacier activity show the importance of a multi-methodological approach when investigating slope processes in the edge zones of permafrost influence.