Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model

Rock glaciers have been the subject of extensive research in recent years due to their potential to serve as indicators of past and present climate conditions and their potential impacts on water resources. Location and descriptive rock glacier data within the Mackenzie Mountains were used to build...

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Main Authors: Rabecca Thiessen, Philip P. Bonnaventure, Caitlin M. Lapalme
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2024-12-01
Series:Arctic Science
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Online Access:https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2023-0065
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author Rabecca Thiessen
Philip P. Bonnaventure
Caitlin M. Lapalme
author_facet Rabecca Thiessen
Philip P. Bonnaventure
Caitlin M. Lapalme
author_sort Rabecca Thiessen
collection DOAJ
description Rock glaciers have been the subject of extensive research in recent years due to their potential to serve as indicators of past and present climate conditions and their potential impacts on water resources. Location and descriptive rock glacier data within the Mackenzie Mountains were used to build a rock glacier inventory that will serve as a valuable resource for future research and monitoring efforts. Additionally, this study maps the likelihood of rock glacier presence using extracted variables in a generalized additive model (GAM). The model incorporates attribute data, including potential incoming solar radiation (PISR), topographic position index (TPI), slope, elevation, and lithology as controls for rock glacier development. Topographic data were compiled for three study regions of the Mackenzie Mountains from a 30 m digital elevation model (DEM). The analysis of the GAM showed that the most significant explanatory variables were PISR, elevation, slope, and TPI. The GAM model had an accuracy of 0.87 with a sensitivity of 0.92. This study provides important insights into the controls, distribution, and dynamics of rock glaciers in the Mackenzie Mountains, as well as both the limitations and the potential of statistical models in predicting their occurrence.
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series Arctic Science
spelling doaj-art-85c21c18aac0456285f39629fcac6d1d2024-12-02T15:40:46ZengCanadian Science PublishingArctic Science2368-74602024-12-0110465367210.1139/as-2023-0065Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive modelRabecca Thiessen0Philip P. Bonnaventure1Caitlin M. Lapalme2Department of Geography and Environment, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, CanadaDepartment of Geography and Environment, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, CanadaDepartment of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaRock glaciers have been the subject of extensive research in recent years due to their potential to serve as indicators of past and present climate conditions and their potential impacts on water resources. Location and descriptive rock glacier data within the Mackenzie Mountains were used to build a rock glacier inventory that will serve as a valuable resource for future research and monitoring efforts. Additionally, this study maps the likelihood of rock glacier presence using extracted variables in a generalized additive model (GAM). The model incorporates attribute data, including potential incoming solar radiation (PISR), topographic position index (TPI), slope, elevation, and lithology as controls for rock glacier development. Topographic data were compiled for three study regions of the Mackenzie Mountains from a 30 m digital elevation model (DEM). The analysis of the GAM showed that the most significant explanatory variables were PISR, elevation, slope, and TPI. The GAM model had an accuracy of 0.87 with a sensitivity of 0.92. This study provides important insights into the controls, distribution, and dynamics of rock glaciers in the Mackenzie Mountains, as well as both the limitations and the potential of statistical models in predicting their occurrence.https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2023-0065rock glacierpermafrostMackenzie Mountainsgeneralized additive model
spellingShingle Rabecca Thiessen
Philip P. Bonnaventure
Caitlin M. Lapalme
Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model
Arctic Science
rock glacier
permafrost
Mackenzie Mountains
generalized additive model
title Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model
title_full Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model
title_fullStr Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model
title_full_unstemmed Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model
title_short Rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the Mackenzie Mountains: predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model
title_sort rock glacier inventory and predictive modeling in the mackenzie mountains predicting rock glacier likelihood with a generalized additive model
topic rock glacier
permafrost
Mackenzie Mountains
generalized additive model
url https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/as-2023-0065
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AT caitlinmlapalme rockglacierinventoryandpredictivemodelinginthemackenziemountainspredictingrockglacierlikelihoodwithageneralizedadditivemodel