NASA surveys giving detailed pictures of changing North American Arctic

Eilís Quinn, Eye on the Arctic @arctic_eq
Posted: Thursday, May 1, 2025 at 16:26
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A file photo of the Mackenzie Delta landscape, one of the areas surveyed in the NASA’s Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment. (Lamb/CBC)

A new paper from NASA’s Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment is offering insights into the evolution of wildfire activity, thawing permafrost, and changing ecosystems in Alaska and Canada over the past seven years.

“Arctic amplification, the warming of the Arctic nearly four times faster than the global mean has accelerated change in the northern high latitudes, leading to the “borealization” of the tundra and rapid transformation of permafrost-affected ecosystems,” the paper published in the journal Nature.

From 2017 to 2023, NASA’s team used airborne imaging technology to collect more than 1,700 flight lines covering over 120,000 square kilometres. The high-resolution datasets were used to monitor vegetation, map wetlands, and assess wildfire damage.

In the Mackenzie Delta region, the study identified areas with high methane emissions, illustrating the impact of thawing permafrost. The data also helped track changes influencing sea level rise, atmospheric conditions, and global carbon storage.

The ABoVE AVIRIS airborne surveys include more than 1700 individual flight lines collected from 2017 to 2023 across Alaska and northwestern Canada. Image created using the AVIRIS-NG data portal (https://avirisng.jpl.nasa.gov/dataportal/). (Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment)

The findings will contribute to ongoing research the paper and will inform future projects, such as NASA’s upcoming Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission, the paper said.

Data from ABoVE is also expected to assist in calibrating satellite sensors designed to monitor the Earth’s surface, the researchers said.

This detailed map of the Mackenzie Delta, created using aerial imaging in July 2019, shows how water, vegetation, and sediment interact across the landscape and along the coast. It covers about 10,000 square kilometers and was made by stitching together over 30 flight paths, capturing fine details down to 25 square meters. (Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment)

The report also notes that changing Arctic conditions are affecting infrastructure and local communities. Thawing ground is increasing the risk of erosion, landslides, and flooding, with many northern communities already confronting interruptions to traditional land use and wildlife patterns.

Researchers say the observation program will continue to be important to better understand the pace and impact of climate-driven changes in the Arctic and how they are set to influence ecosystems and climate conditions elsewhere in the world.

Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca

Related stories from around the North:

Canada: Study examines physical, social costs of thawing permafrost across Arctic regions, CBC News

Norway: Svalbard glacier once survived a warmer climate, The Independent Barents Observer

Russia: Melting permafrost may release industrial pollutants at Arctic sites: study, Eye on the Arctic

United States: 30–50% of critical northern infrastructure could be at high risk by 2050 due to warming, says study, Eye on the Arctic