Permafrost vulnerability to contemporary climate changes in Eastern Chukotka coastal plains (NE Russia)

Recent permafrost degradation is detected in many cold regions of the world. This process is due to surface lowering caused by ice-rich sediments thaw and massive ice beds melt. Eastern Chukotka coastal plains polygon is one of the key sites for studying climate change's impact on permafrost conditions and human activity. This region is the habitat of indigenous people, concentrated in the coastal villages. The study site is approximately 400 km² in area and characterized by a variety of landscape, geomorphological, and permafrost conditions. Using remote sensing data, field observations, and shallow drilling results, we ranked and delineated the areas on their susceptibility to thermokarst, thermal erosion, and solifluction activation due to the further air temperature increasing and potential human disturbances. Spatial analysis on current thaw settlement rates combined with drilling data allowed us to map the areas with a high concentration of surficial massive ice beds. These studies provide a better understanding of permafrost conditions in Eastern Chukotka and its response to human impact and climate change.