ALEX

The Arctic Landscape EXplorer (ALEX) presents land surface change data derived from remote sensing analysis of the permafrost regions throughout the Arctic. Interactive maps provide up-to-date information on land surface changes, hotspots of disturbance, and potential areas of active permafrost thaw and erosion. Using tailored visualizations and story maps as a means to more effectively communicate scientific observations of change, the tool is specifically addressing non-scientific user communities, stakeholders, and rights holders in the Arctic.

data interpretation

In the landscape change map, flashy colors indicate a substantial change in the landscape. For example, coastal erosion (a trend of a land surface transitioning to a water surface) is depicted in dark blue colors, while coastal accretion (a trend of a water surface transitioning to a land surface) is depicted in bright orange colors. More information about how to interpret the landscape change data can be found on the About page. 

Left: screenshot of the Arctic Landscape EXplorer (ALEX) showing a story map in mobile device mode. Right: subset of the landscape change dataset for the area around Kali (Native Village of Point Lay) with labels explaining types of change