New aerial images show major changes on Forkastningsfjellet, a mountainside on Svalbard, as the Arctic archipelago warms, Norwegian broadcaster NRK reports.
Researchers at the NORCE research institute say about 390,000 cubic metres of rock and loose material have disappeared from one part of the slope since 2009. Senior researcher Tom Rune Lauknes described the changes as dramatic. The team compared a new high-resolution 3D model with older data from the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The measuring equipment is fitted to a Dornier aircraft operated by the local airline Lufttransport, which allows more detailed and more flexible surveys than satellites. Ketil Isaksen of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute said such images give new insight into how far thawing permafrost is affecting slopes and tundra. NORCE says the data will be made openly available to other scientists.
Source: NRK
