Reconnaissance surveys of contemporary permafrost environments in central Iceland using geoelectrical methods: Implications for permafrost degradation and sediment fluxes

Four different sites in the highlands of central Iceland have been investigated for permafrost occurrence using two-dimensional resistivity imaging. The results of the surveys indicate the presence of shallow permafrost of low to medium resistivity. The distribution pattern is spatially heterogeneous which is consistent with permafrost at the fringe of seasonal frost. These sites are likely to react rapidly to changes of the environmental boundary conditions, therefore future research should include monitoring for detecting the early impact of climate change on permafrost degradation. The extent to which periglacial morphodynamics and sediment fluxes are influenced by permafrost and/or seasonal frost and potential permafrost degradation is hard to determine. Hence, long-term monitoring approaches for both permafrost and sediment dynamics are essential.