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ISSN 2070-7401 (Print), ISSN 2411-0280 (Online)
Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa
CURRENT PROBLEMS IN REMOTE SENSING OF THE EARTH FROM SPACE

  

Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2026. Т. 23. № 3. С. 239-251

Vegetation and thermal spectral features of the heterogeneity level of Arctic landscapes

N.D. Yakimov 1 , T.V. Ponomareva 1 , E.I. Ponomarev 1 
1 Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Accepted: 27.03.2026
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2026-23-3-239-251
Using remote sensing data, the degree of landscape heterogeneity in Norilsk industrial district was studied. For this region, permafrost is a key environment-forming factor. Landscapes and ecosystems in this region are influenced by both climatic factors and severe industrial impact. The Random Forest classification method was applied to a series of multispectral Landsat-8 and -9 OLI/TIRS (Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor) images. The results were calibrated using field data from nine key sites (each ~62 km2). Signatures (with a total area of ~28 km2) of 12 classes were identified, representing a typical ratio of categories of the underlying surface conditions in the study area. It has been demonstrated that the degree of local cryolithozone landscape heterogeneity that differs from the background can be understood in terms of how local areas have changed as a result of both natural and man-made influences. We group the classes into three primary categories: areas that have been technogenically transformed, background areas, and natural landscapes devoid of vegetation. Classification accuracy was ~82%, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.9. An analysis of long-term dynamics (2000–2024) of spectral characteristics was conducted using Terra MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data (MOD13Q1 (NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)) and MOD11A2 (LST (Land Surface Temperature)). The analysis was focused on heterogeneity of the sites under study. According to the findings, NDVI is typically 26 % lower, and LST is 11% higher than background conditions in areas with more than 50% technogenic transformation. This is an indirect marker that vegetation degradation has disturbed the ground cover’s ability to insulate against heat. The suggested method works for monitoring and forecasting the state of permafrost landscapes and ecosystem components.
Keywords: cryolithozone, degree of heterogeneity, spectral indices, classification, Siberia
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