Mountain Permafrost Geomorphology

Dear Colleagues,

Mountain permafrost significantly influences ground morphology, water cycle, and slope stability. The understanding of its spatial extent at different scales has increased considerably over the last years. More detailed field evidence has been derived from the use of updated and transportable equipment, the prolonged monitoring of environmental parameters, along with the improvement of the distribution models and new mapping methodologies.

Extensive studies conducted in various mountain regions have demonstrated that the climate warming rate increases with elevation. Awareness of this fact has triggered detailed and/or regional-scaled researches with manifold aims, namely: to update the evidence of the climate change sensitivity of the mountain cryosphere, to study permafrost degradation effects in terms of the destabilization of mountain slopes and related hazard scenarios, and to estimate hydrologically valuable ice volumes in permafrost layers.

Different types of expertise from the fields of geosciences, physics, engineering, climatology, and biology—to cite only the most common—are involved in permafrost research. An assortment of collected papers updating our knowledge on a variety of subjects could be helpful, offering the opportunity to delve into previously unexplored issues, opening up new prospects for the future.

This Special Issue of Geosciences is designed to gather original high-quality research articles, reviews, and technical notes concerning to mountain permafrost. The intent is to have a broad scope, and to survey the recent development and progress in mountain permafrost.

Submissions related to the following topics would be welcome:

• New mapping strategies
• Remote sensing and geophysical methodologies
• Distribution models
• Monitoring and dynamics
• Degradation and related hazards
• Permafrost hydrology
• Paleo-permafrost features and their climatic relevance

These topics are a “classic” in mountain permafrost science, but new subjects may also be considered. In case of doubt, you are encouraged to send me a few lines about the purpose of your paper, in order to verify at an early stage whether the contribution you intend to submit fits with the aims of this Special Issue.

Best regards,

Manuscript Submission Information

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• Alpine permafrost
• Permafrost mapping
• Remote sensing
• Geophysical applications
• Permafrost monitoring
• Climate change
• Hazard
• Permafrost hydrology
• Geomorphology