The study of rapid permafrost degradation features such as thaw slumps on river shores, sea coasts and slopes in High Latitudes have increased in recent years with accelerated permafrost thaw, tundra and taiga fires and thermo-erosion driven by ongoing Arctic warming. Furthermore, thaw slumps measuring several hundred meter wide and several decameters deep known as ‘megaslumps’ have been identified in Siberia and Canada and introduced to the scientific literature within the last decade. The combination of thermal and erosional processes in ice-rich permafrost terrain promotes the release of organic matter, nutrients and trace elements into riverine and marine systems that certainly alters food webs and biogeochemical cycling. Ongoing research focuses (1) on modern thaw slumps dynamics monitored by onsite and remote sensing as well as geophysical methods, (2) on quality and quantity of released material and its impact on adjacent ecosystems, and (3) on still preserved Quaternary inventories of fossil organic matter and ground ice that are accessible in thaw slump headwalls. The session seeks to combine these main research directions to promote interdisciplinary approaches within the field of permafrost research.

We are happy to confirm solicited presentations by Steve Kokelj (Northwest Territories Geological Survey) and George Tanski (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam).