ESA CCI Permafrost: [2019-]

The ultimate objective of Permafrost_cci is to develop and deliver permafrost maps as ECV products primarily derived from satellite measurements. The required associated parameters by GCOS for the ECV Permafrost are “Depth of active layer (m)” and “Permafrost temperature (K)”. Algorithms have been identified which can provide these parameters ingesting a set of global satellite data products (Land Surface Temperature LST, Snow Water Equivalent SWE, and landcover) in a permafrost model scheme that computes the ground thermal regime. In Permafrost_cci we will strongly rely on data products from recent, ongoing and future ESA projects (e.g. LST_cci, Snow_cci), which offer consistency over several satellite generations. Validation and evaluation efforts comprise comparison to in-situ measurements of subsurface properties(active layer depth,active layer and permafrost temperatures,organic layer thickness, liquid water content in the active layer and permafrost) and surface properties (vegetation cover, snow depth, surface and air temperatures) as well as rock glacier inventories, local permafrost maps and geophysical survey measurements.

ESA CCI site