Arctic Thermokarst Landscape Distribution and Soil Carbon, 2015

Thermokarst landscape distribution and associated soil organic carbon content for northern circumpolar permafrost zones. This dataset provides areal estimates of wetland, lake, and hillslope thermokarst landscapes as of 2015, with SOC estimates derived from circumpolar 0 to 3 meter storage data. The dataset is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon release from permafrost thaw by analyzing soil organic carbon content in thermokarst landscapes.
• Assessing landscape vulnerability by mapping the distribution of wetland, lake, and hillslope thermokarst features.
• Estimating circumpolar carbon stocks by integrating 0 to 3 meter SOC storage data with thermokarst area.
• Studying periglacial processes through the spatial analysis of thermokarst in boreal and tundra ecoregions.

Strengths

• Provides a 2015 snapshot of thermokarst distribution across the entire northern circumpolar region.
• Integrates soil organic carbon estimates for depths of 0 to 3 meters with landscape classification.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates established scientific use.

Limitations

• Exact row count, column names, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026-03-13, while NASA EarthData lists 2015-12, suggesting a metadata discrepancy.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Areal estimates based on available circumpolar soil organic carbon storage data and landscape classification.

Time Range

2015

Freshness

2026-03-13

Geography

Northern circumpolar permafrost zones, including boreal and tundra ecoregions.