Climate-induced dynamics of ice cover in southeastern Greenland (2000–2024) revealed by satellite remote sensing
 
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Department of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing of Environment and Spatial Engineering, AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow
 
These authors had equal contribution to this work
 
 
Submission date: 2025-08-01
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-08-30
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-09-01
 
 
Publication date: 2025-11-04
 
 
Corresponding author
Ewa Głowienka   

Katedra Fotogrametrii, Teledetekcji Środowiska i Inżynierii Przestrzennej, Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im. St. Staszica w Krakowie, Poland
 
 
Geomatics, Landmanagement and Landscape 2025;(3)
 
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ABSTRACT
This study investigates multidecadal changes in the extent of glacierized surfaces in Kommune Kujalleq, southeastern Greenland, between 2000 and 2024. Multispectral satellite imagery from Landsat 7 and Landsat 8, combined with climate data from MODIS and the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, was used to quantify changes in summer ice cover and to evaluate their relationship with atmospheric drivers. The Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI ≥ 0.4) was applied to classify ice-covered pixels during the melt season (July–September), and climate variables were derived for both summer and winter seasons. The results reveal an overall net decline in ice-covered area of approximately 4% (about 1,600 km²) over the 24-year period, with substantial interannual variability. Years such as 2015 and 2020 exhibited temporary increases in ice extent, coinciding with anomalously high snowfall and below-average summer temperatures, whereas significant losses occurred during warm and dry periods, notably in 2010 and 2024. Despite these fluctuations, the general trend remains one of retreat, driven primarily by sustained Arctic warming. The study highlights the effectiveness of remote sensing and cloud-based geospatial platforms for long-term cryospheric monitoring and contributes to a better understanding of regional glacier sensitivity to climatic variability in the context of global sea-level rise.
ISSN:2300-1496
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