Permafrost Mass Wasting in Ice‐Rich Landscapes: Recent Advances (2013 to 2024) on Mechanisms, Dynamics and Impacts

J. M. Young, L. Farquharson, J. Luo, N. Nesterova, J. van der Sluijs and S. V. Kokelj

Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 2026, vol. 37, issue 2, 284-304

Abstract: Across circumpolar permafrost regions, climate change is destabilizing ice‐rich hillslopes, increasing the frequency and magnitude of thaw‐driven mass wasting. This paper reviews recent studies (2013–2024) on thaw‐driven mass wasting, focusing on the processes, morphology and trajectories of geomorphic change and their implications for infrastructure, ecosystems and carbon impacts. Recent developments in monitoring and remote sensing approaches are also summarized. This review organizes mass wasting types along a continuum of top‐down (active‐layer detachment failures and retrogressive thaw slumps) and bottom‐up (deep‐seated permafrost landslides) mass movements and an intermediary class (frozen debris lobes) where the thermal evolution of permafrost more gradually modifies the behaviour of frozen slopes. Recent contributions and state of knowledge are summarized by distinct circumpolar regions of (1) northwestern Canada, (2) northwestern Russia, (3) the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and (4) interior and northern Alaska to emphasize how geological legacy, physiography and climate influence variation in dominant modes of permafrost mass wasting. Critical geomorphic thresholds are surpassed across all regions, manifesting as a non‐linear increase in thaw‐driven mass wasting. The range of variation in processes and morphologies and the increasing complexity of mass wasting landforms are broadly related to geological legacy, which is controlled by ground ice, thermal, geomorphic and ecosystem factors, as well as their interaction with climate drivers. Knowledge of geological and climate controls on the different modes of slope failure and a field‐based understanding of process and form establishes critical context for considering future trajectories of permafrost landscape evolution, calibrating remote sensing observations, developing consistent monitoring methods and informing prediction of the environmental and engineering consequences. Lastly, we discuss remote sensing and machine learning applications to capture regional to global‐scale distributions and dynamics of mass wasting features. However, as permafrost landslide dynamics increase, so does the need for upscaling remote sensing and modelling efforts informed by a field‐based understanding of thaw‐driven mass wasting processes, creating opportunities for cross‐disciplinary and international collaboration.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:perpro:v:37:y:2026:i:2:p:284-304

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