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Geosciences
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Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences
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Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2020) | Viewed by 24120

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wojciech Dobinski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Silesia in Katowice, ul. Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
Interests: permafrost; ice; freezing; geomorphology; periglacial
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Christof Kneisel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Wurzburg University, Würzburg, Germany
Interests: alpine and polar permafrost; glacial and periglacial geomorphology; glacier-permafrost interactions; near surface geophysics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Permafrost and glaciers are the most important components of the cryosphere. Their mutual relationship has only recently become the subject of interdisciplinary research. The fact that most of the permafrost and glacial studies have been carried out separately is an obstacle to their conduct. Moreover, the progressive specialization of research in Earth sciences has led to increasing difficulties with the holistic view of the cryosphere in general. Additionally, the extremely important practical issues associated with so-called “climate change” mean that little attention is being paid to understanding the essence of the cryosphere’s components and their inter-relationship. Thus, there is a growing disparity between the results of empirical, environmentally oriented research and their more precise, universal, and interdisciplinary understanding. The purpose of this special issue is, therefore, not to present strictly the results of empirical studies conducted by the authors. It is to refine the synthetic opinions—based on the authors’ scientific experience—on how the relation between permafrost and glacier should be perceived in their view. Cross-cutting inferences, based on a wide-ranging perspective, would be particularly valuable. I would like to invite you especially to compare the mentioned elements of the Earth's cryosphere with the cryospheres of other celestial bodies of our solar system. I invite authors both at the beginning of their careers and with rich scientific experience to confront these opinions. The confrontation of opinions and scientific traditions of Russia and Western European countries and the USA seems particularly valuable because of the dominant scientific achievements in this field. Issues that may encourage authors to prepare original statements may be presented as follows:

  1. Is the position of A. Washburn (USA) 1973 that "glaciers that have a temperature not reaching 0 oC are permafrost by definition" still valid?
  2. Is the position of A. P. Shumskii (USSR) 1964 on the petrology of ice still important to us?
  3. Is the relation between glacier and permafrost a material, geophysical, or other issue?
  4. Is it possible to have permafrost under a glacier? Cryotic state vs. pressure melting point.
  5. Snowball-earth: frozen or glaciated?
  6. Extraterrestrial analogs: Europa icy-lithosphere and sea-ice of the Arctic ocean—how do we compare and understand each of these?
  7. Any other relevant issue.

I believe that this unique and unprecedented opportunity to exchange opinions can provide inspiration to perceive cryospheric research in a broader, more universal context and to point out new horizons for this research. Each scientifically justified position is important and worth presenting; however, the subject of our special issue is not likely to require methodological work. Because we expect different, perhaps even mutually exclusive opinions, the final goal of this publication may be to organize a conference where the divergent positions will be discussed. I am expecting works no longer than the standard 10 double-spaced A4 pages.

Dr. Wojciech Dobinski
Prof. Christof Kneisel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Permafrost
  • Glacier
  • Ice
  • Freezing
  • Geophysics
  • Temperature

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 154 KiB  
Editorial
Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences—Another Step Forward
by Wojciech Dobiński and Christof Kneisel
Geosciences 2021, 11(2), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11020068 - 4 Feb 2021
Viewed by 1558
Abstract
Permafrost and glaciers are the most important components of the cryosphere [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

11 pages, 5343 KiB  
Article
Seawater Intrusion on the Arctic Coast (Svalbard): The Concept of Onshore-Permafrost Wedge
by Marek Kasprzak
Geosciences 2020, 10(9), 349; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10090349 - 3 Sep 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4499
Abstract
Numerous hydrogeological studies on the coastal zone describe the intrusion of sea water inland, salting underground aquifers. The phenomenon is commonly observed in the coasts outside polar areas. However, the impact of sea water has so far not been an object of detailed [...] Read more.
Numerous hydrogeological studies on the coastal zone describe the intrusion of sea water inland, salting underground aquifers. The phenomenon is commonly observed in the coasts outside polar areas. However, the impact of sea water has so far not been an object of detailed investigation in a periglacial environment devoid of subsea permafrost. Geophysical measurements at the west coast of the Wedel-Jarlsberg Land in Svalbard indicate that the border between the unfrozen seabed and the frozen ground onshore is not delimited by the shoreline. A zone of coastal unfrozen ground is located under a thin layer of permafrost reaching toward the sea. This state was observed with the use of electrical resistivity tomography under rocky headlands and capes, uplifted marine terraces located at the foot of mountain massifs and valley mouths as well as in the marginal zone of the Werenskiold Glacier. This short article presents the results of such a measurement, supplemented with electromagnetic detection. The measurements are unique in that they were conducted not only on the land surface, but also at the floor of the sea bay during the low water spring tide. The author proposes name structures detected in the coastal zone as a “permafrost wedge”, extending an identification of the permafrost base between the coast and the glaciers of Svalbard. However, in the absence of boreholes that would allow determining the thermal state of the ground in the study sites, the concept is based only on the interpretation of the geophysical imaging. Therefore, further discussion is required on whether the identified contrasts in electrical resistivity indeed result from thermal differences between the rocks or if they only indicate the cryotic state of the ground (saline cryopeg) within the range of seawater intrusion. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences)
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14 pages, 4055 KiB  
Article
Glacier–Permafrost Interaction at a Thrust Moraine Complex in the Glacier Forefield Muragl, Swiss Alps
by Julius Kunz and Christof Kneisel
Geosciences 2020, 10(6), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10060205 - 27 May 2020
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4681
Abstract
The internal structures of a moraine complex mostly provide information about the manner in which they develop and thus they can transmit details about several processes long after they have taken place. While the occurrence of glacier–permafrost interactions during the formation of large [...] Read more.
The internal structures of a moraine complex mostly provide information about the manner in which they develop and thus they can transmit details about several processes long after they have taken place. While the occurrence of glacier–permafrost interactions during the formation of large thrust moraine complexes at polar and subpolar glaciers as well as at marginal positions of former ice sheets has been well understood, their role in the formation of moraines on comparatively small alpine glaciers is still very poorly investigated. Therefore, the question arises as to whether evidence of former glacier–permafrost interactions can still be found in glacier forefields of small alpine glaciers and to what extent these differ from the processes in finer materials at larger polar or subpolar glaciers. To investigate this, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys were carried out in the area of a presumed alpine thrust moraine complex in order to investigate internal moraine structures. The ERT data confirmed the presence of a massive ice core within the central and proximal parts of the moraine complex. Using GPR, linear internal structures were detected, which were interpreted as internal shear planes due to their extent and orientation. These shear planes lead to the assumption that the moraine complex is of glaciotectonic origin. Based on the detected internal structures and the high electrical resistivity values, it must also be assumed that the massive ice core is of sedimentary or polygenetic origin. The combined approach of the two methods enabled the authors of this study to detect different internal structures and to deduce a conceptual model of the thrust moraine formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences)
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18 pages, 4169 KiB  
Article
Deglaciation Rate of Selected Nunataks in Spitsbergen, Svalbard—Potential for Permafrost Expansion above the Glacial Environment
by Joanna Ewa Szafraniec and Wojciech Dobiński
Geosciences 2020, 10(5), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10050202 - 25 May 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3402
Abstract
Spitsbergen has recently experienced a continuous deglaciation process, linked to both glacier front retreat and lowering of the glacier surface. This process is accompanied by permafrost aggradation from the top of the slopes down to the glacier. Here, the authors determine the rate [...] Read more.
Spitsbergen has recently experienced a continuous deglaciation process, linked to both glacier front retreat and lowering of the glacier surface. This process is accompanied by permafrost aggradation from the top of the slopes down to the glacier. Here, the authors determine the rate of permafrost expansion in this type of vertical profile. To this end, seven nunataks across the island were analysed using Landsat satellite imagery, a high-resolution digital elevation model (ArcticDEM), and geoinformation software. Over the last 24–31 years, new nunataks gradually emerged from the ice cover at an average linear rate of 0.06 m a−1 per degree of increment of the slope of the terrain at an average altitude of approximately 640 m a.s.l. The analysis showed that the maximum rate of permafrost expansion down the slope was positively correlated with the average nunatak elevation, reaching a value of approximately 10,000 m2 a−1. In cold climates, with a mean annual air temperature (MAAT) below 0 °C, newly exposed land is occupied by active periglacial environments, causing permafrost aggradation. Therefore, both glacial and periglacial environments are changing over time concomitantly, with permafrost aggradation occurring along and around the glacier, wherever the MAAT is negative. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences)
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12 pages, 2776 KiB  
Article
The Occurrence of Permafrost within the Glacial Domain
by Wojciech Dobiński
Geosciences 2020, 10(5), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10050193 - 20 May 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3522
Abstract
The occurrence of permafrost within glacial environments has never been comprehensively defined based on scientific evidence, despite its importance in determining how all the components of the cryosphere associate and interact. Here, the relation between glaciers and permafrost is discussed based on what [...] Read more.
The occurrence of permafrost within glacial environments has never been comprehensively defined based on scientific evidence, despite its importance in determining how all the components of the cryosphere associate and interact. Here, the relation between glaciers and permafrost is discussed based on what scientific field they have been traditionally associated with. As the most accepted definition of permafrost is not exclusively linked to the presence of a geological medium, this can also be ice of any origin, including snow and glacial ice. Thus, active glaciers can act as permafrost medium. Indeed, all thermal types of glaciers meet the definition of permafrost as they remain at or below 0 °C for certainly more than two consecutive years. Active rock glaciers, regardless of the origin of the ice within, also meet the definition of permafrost. The presence of an active layer is not a prerequisite for the existence of permafrost either. Therefore, a comprehensive definition of permafrost occurrence across the cryosphere is essential to appropriately understand the phenomenon as a whole, not only as seen from our planet but also as it occurs for example on the icy moons of the Solar System and other frozen rocky bodies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences)
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4 pages, 737 KiB  
Communication
Should Glaciers Be Considered Permafrost?
by Maciej Dąbski
Geosciences 2019, 9(12), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9120517 - 16 Dec 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5596
Abstract
This commentary critically evaluates concepts of extending the term permafrost to any parts of an active glacier. The whole mass of any glacier is at zero centigrade or below (cryotic), except for non-ice inclusions at the glacier surface. Therefore, if glacial ice is [...] Read more.
This commentary critically evaluates concepts of extending the term permafrost to any parts of an active glacier. The whole mass of any glacier is at zero centigrade or below (cryotic), except for non-ice inclusions at the glacier surface. Therefore, if glacial ice is considered a monomineral rock, then any glacier constitutes a perennially cryotic ground (i.e., permafrost), according to the purely thermal definition. However, extending the term permafrost to active glaciers introduces misconceptions, rather than a clarification of important geological terms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Permafrost and Glaciers: Perspectives for the Earth and Planetary Sciences)
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