Monitoring and Analysis of Frozen Debris Lobes Using Remote Sensing

Frozen debris lobes (FDLs) are slow-moving landslides within permafrost on slopes located in the Brooks Range of Alaska. Forty-three FDLs are located within the Dalton Highway corridor, with 23 occurring less than one mile uphill of the Dalton Highway and the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Although slow-moving for landslides, their size and close proximity to infrastructure make FDLs geohazards. This project used remotely sensed data from multiple acquisition methods to monitor and analyze FDLs at different temporal scales, thereby increasing the understanding of rates and episodes of movement of these geohazards. Each technique was evaluated for its overall cost, east of use, and applicability to assess the flow dynamics of FDLs. This research involved: 1) measuring surface movement in the field with a differential global positioning system (GPS) unit; 2) analyzing remotely sensed data using multiple data acquisition methods (i.e., historic optical imagery, LiDAR data, InSAR data, and UAS-acquired photography) to monitor and analyze the FDLs at different temporal scales; and 3) summarizing and synthesizing the research results, making them available to the public and to the agencies with a vested interest in FDLs through several different deliverable formats.

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• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/32305
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Alaska, Fairbanks

  Institute of Northern Engineering, P.O. Box 755910
  Fairbanks, AK  United States  99775-5900

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  Washington DC,   United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Darrow, Margaret M
  • Meyer, Franz
  • Cunningham, Keith W
  • Gong, Wenyu
  • Gyswyt, Nora L
  • McCoy, Ryan P
  • Daanen, Ronald P
  • McAlpin, David
• Publication Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 107p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data analysis; Data collection; Frozen soils; Global Positioning System; Landslides; Permafrost; Remote sensing
• Identifier Terms: Dalton Highway
• Geographic Terms: Alaska
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Geotechnology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01637824
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: OASRTRS-14-H-UAF-B
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 7 2017 5:06PM