Incorporating kinematic attributes into rock glacier inventories exploiting InSAR data: preliminary results in eleven regions worldwide

Abstract

Abstract. The dependence of rock glaciers on permafrost and thus their sensitivity to climatic parameters makes the spatial distribution of these landforms very important for hydrological and climate changes reasons. Inventories of rock glaciers have been produced for decades worldwide, often without an assessment of their kinematics; the availability of remote sensing data makes the inclusion of kinematic information potentially feasible, but the absence of a common methodology makes it challenging to create homogeneous inventories. In this context, the IPA Action Group on rock glacier inventories and kinematics (2018–2023), with the support of the ESA Permafrost_CCI project, is promoting the definition of standard guidelines for the inclusion of kinematic information within inventories. Here, we test the feasibility of applying common rules proposed by the Action Group in eleven regions worldwide. Satellite interferometry is used to characterize identifiable areas with slope movements related to rock glaciers; subsequently, these areas are used to assign kinematic information to rock glaciers in existing or newly compiled inventories. More than 5,000 slope movements and more than 3,600 rock glaciers are classified according to their kinematics. The analyzes conducted on the method and on the preliminary results show small irregularities related to the detection capacity of interferometry and to lack of rock glaciers without detectable movements in some regions investigated. This is the first internationally coordinated effort of rock glacier inventories. We demonstrate the feasibility of applying common rules to implement kinematic attributes within inventories at a global scale, despite the various regions and intensive manual effort.