Topics Webinar | Leveraging Earth Observation for Assessing Climate Change Impact in the Arctic: Insights and Innovations from the EO-PERSIST Project, 4 March 2025

Permafrost plays a crucial role in the Earth’s climate system, storing vast amounts of carbon and influencing ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. However, as the climate warms, permafrost has begun to thaw at an accelerated rate, creating significant environmental and socioeconomic challenges.

In this webinar, we will explore the critical role of Earth Observation (EO) technologies in monitoring and understanding permafrost changes. From satellite imagery to remote sensing techniques, EO provides valuable, real-time data that help researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders track permafrost dynamics, assess risks, and develop strategies for mitigation and adaptation. Join us to learn how cutting-edge EO innovations are advancing the science of permafrost monitoring and shaping the future of Arctic sustainability. To this end, key research findings will be presented from EO-PERSIST, an EU-funded project that aims to develop a cloud-based platform for mapping the socioeconomic impacts of climate change in the Arctic regions.

Date: 4 March 2025
Time: 4:00 p.m. CET | 10:00 a.m. EST | 11:00 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 826 0289 7331
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Webinar announcement: https://sciforum.net/event/topics-32

Speaker/Presentation	Time in CEST/CET (Basel time)	Time in EST
Dr. George P. Petropoulos Chair Introduction	4:00–4:10 p.m.	10:00–10:10 a.m.
Dr. Ionut Sandric Mapping Permafrost Thawing: Impacts on Landscapes and Ecosystem Using Earth Observation	4:10–4:30 p.m.	10:10–10:30 a.m.
Dr. Nikolina Myofa Assessing the Socioeconomic Impacts of Climate Change in the Arctic: Insights from the EO-PERSIST Project	4:30–4:50 p.m.	10:30–10:50 a.m.
Mr. Spyridon E. Detsikas Monitoring Arctic Coastal Properties Using Geoinformatics	4:50–5:10 p.m.	10:50–11:10 a.m.
Mr. Kleanthis Karamvasis Time Series Analysis of InSAR Data for Improving the Understanding of Snow Dynamics and Freeze-Thaw Cycle in Arctic Environments	5:10–5:30 p.m.	11:10–11:30 a.m.
Mr. Juval Cohen SAR and Passive Microwave Observations and Modeling Tools for Monitoring Soil Freeze/Thaw Dynamics and Snow Cover Properties in Northern Environments	5:30–5:50 p.m.	11:30–11:50 a.m.
Q&A Session	5:50–6:20 p.m.	11:50–12:20 p.m.
Chair Closing of Webinar	6:20–6:30 p.m.	12:20–12:30 p.m.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic or institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Feel free to still register; we will inform you when the recording is available.

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

Dr. George P. Petropoulos, Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece;
Dr. Ionuț Șandric, Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest, Romania;
Dr. Nikolina Myofa, Department of Geography, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece;
Mr. Spyridon E. Detsikas, Department of Geography, Harokopio University of Athens, Greece;
Mr. Kleanthis Karamvasis, National Technical University of Athens, Remote Sensing Laboratory, Greece;
Mr. Juval Cohen, Research Scientist, Earth Observation Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland.

Relevant Special Issues and Papers:
“Environmental Monitoring Based on Remote Sensing, Earth Observation and Geoinformation”
Guest Editors: Dr. George P. Petropoulos, Prof. Dr. Daniela Silva-Fuzzo, Prof. Dr. Nikos Koutsias and Prof. Dr. Yansong Bao
Deadline for manuscript submission: 29 July 2025

“Quantifying Soil Erosion Processes Using Satellite Data: Progress and Perspectives”
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Arjun Heimsath
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 April 2025

“Open-Source Geoinformation Software Tools in Environmental Modelling”
Guest Editors: Dr. George P. Petropoulos, Dr. Prashant Srivastava and Prof. Dr. Daniela Silva-Fuzzo
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025

“Aerial and Drone LiDAR Data for Geomorphological Mapping, Landform Extraction and Landscape Evolution”
Edited by Dr. Dario Gioia, Dr. Nicodemo Abate, Dr. Giuseppe Corrado, Dr. Antonio Minervino Amodio and Prof. Marcello Schiattarella

“Segment Anything Model Can Not Segment Anything: Assessing AI Foundation Model’s Generalizability in Permafrost Mapping”
by Wenwen Li, Chia-Yu Hsu, Sizhe Wang, Yezhou Yang, Hyunho Lee, Anna Liljedahl, Chandi Witharana, Yili Yang, Brendan M. Rogers, Samantha T. Arundel et al.
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(5), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16050797

“New Method for Hydraulic Characterization of Variably Saturated Zone in Peatland-Dominated Permafrost Mires”
by Radhakrishna Bangalore Lakshmiprasad, Stephan Peth, Susanne K. Woche, and Thomas Graf
Land 2024, 13(12), 1990; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13121990

“Assessment of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to LULC Changes Using Geospatial Techniques: A Case Study in the Merbil Wetland of the Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India”
by Durlov Lahon, Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Jatan Debnath, Nityaranjan Nath, Gowhar Meraj, Pankaj Kumar, Shizuka Hashimoto and Majid Farooq
ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 2023, 12(4), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi12040165