Maria Peter
About
I am a Physical Geographer specialized in permafrost research and thermal modeling of the ground as well as cold region geomorphology and field measurement techniques. At the moment I have a position as a PhD student working with periglacial erosion and modeling in mainland Norway and Svalbard.
Each semester I teach lectures and seminars at the Bachelor and Master level and supervise Master students with their thesis projects.
PhD Project: The role of periglacial creep in landscape evolution
This project focuses on identifying and quantifying periglacial creep on low-angle slopes in low-relief high-elevation surfaces in the past and present day climate. Utilizing a combination of remote sensing, field-measurement techniques, modeling and cosmogenic nuclide dating the past and present rates of periglacial creep are estimated. A special focus is put on the periglacial landform of blockfields, as their interpretation in landscape development is also key in inferring the extent and thermal regime of past ice sheets. Four different blockfields in Southern Norway as well as one High Arctic blockfield on Svalbard are targeted as field sites.
First, the usefulness of the InSAR satellite product for detecting and quantifying periglacial movement is evaluated through in-situ ground validation such as repeat drone surveys and terrestrial lidar scanning, as well as repeat DGPS measurements.
Following this, miniature temperature loggers are placed in different settings in the blockfields, measuring the near-surface and deeper ground temperatures throughout the year. Connected to this, snow depth and snow density measurements are performed in the same points to infer the ground thermal regime of the blockfield landform. These measurements together with the periglacial movement data feed into both thermal and erosional modelization of these periglacial landforms.
Complementary, pits in Southern Norway and Svalbard are excavated and both sediment and rock samples taken for further sedimentological, mineralogical anayses and cosmogenic nuclide dating.
Supervisors:
Chantel Nixon: Professor in Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology at NTNU Geografi
Ola Fredin: Professor at NTNU, Researcher at Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse (NGU)
Bernd Etzelmueller: Professor at University of Oslo, Cryosphere Research Group
Research Interests:
landscape development/erosion on long time-scales
permafrost
ground ice
thermal and cold region erosional modeling
cold region geomorphology
blockfields
slope processes
periglacial environments
NTNU affiliated publications:
Peter, M., Andersen, J.L., Nixon, F.C., Etzelmuller, B., Westermann, S. & Fredin, O. (2023). Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (accepted 2022), Special Issue on Fennoscandinavian Geomorphology.
Publications from earlier research:
Peter, M., Langer, M., Boike, J., Etzelmüller, B. & Westermann, S. 2014. Modeling of permafrost temperatures in the Lena River Delta, Siberia, based on remote sensing products. Conference Talk. ESA DUE Permafrost 2014 workshop, Frascati, Italy, 11 February 2014 - 13 February 2014. Travel Stipend from the WCRP Climate and Cryosphere Project CliC.
Westermann, S., Peter, M., Langer, M., Schwamborn, G., Schirrmeister, L., Etzelmüller, B., and Boike, J.: Transient modeling of the ground thermal conditions using satellite data in the Lena River delta, Siberia, The Cryosphere, 11, 1441-1463, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-11-1441-2017, 2017.
Westermann, S., Langer, M., Peter, M., Boike, J., Heikenfeld, M., Etzelmüller, B., Krinner, G., Simulating the ground thermal regime and thaw processes of ice-rich permafrost ground with the land-surface model CryoGrid 3, Geoscientific Model Development, 9, 523-546, doi:10.5194/gmd-9-523-2016, 2016.
Peter, M., Westermann, S., Langer, M. Boike, J., Schwamborn, G., Etzelmüller, B. 2014 Modeling the regional differences of permafrost temperatures of the Lena River Delta in northern Siberia, based on remote sensing products. Poster. European Conference on Permafrost 2014, Evora, Portugal. Travel and Conference Stipend from Bolin Centre Stockholm and Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Potsdam.
Peter, M., Langer, M., Julia, B., Westermann, S., Etzelmüller, B. 2013.Transient permafrost modeling of the northeast siberian tundra lowlands. Poster. AK Permafrost conference, Salzburg, Austria, 24 October – 26 October 2013. Travel Stipend from Alfred-Wegener-Institute, Potsdam.
Publications
2023
-
Peter, Maria;
Andersen, Jane Lund;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Etzelmüller, Bernd;
Westermann, Sebastian;
Fredin, Ola.
(2023)
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard.
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Peter, Maria;
Andersen, Jane Lund;
Nixon, Francis Chantel;
Etzelmüller, Bernd;
Westermann, Sebastian;
Fredin, Ola.
(2023)
Near-surface temperatures and potential for frost weathering in blockfields in Norway and Svalbard.
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Academic article