An up-to-date permafrost distribution map is critical for making engineering decisions during
the planning and design of development in permafrost rich areas. We used a combination of
statistical and remote sensing techniques to generate a high spatial resolution near-surface
(< 1.6 m) permafrost map for a section of the proposed gas pipeline corridor in Interior
Alaska. We used field data as input to a logistic regression model to establish the statistical
relationship (logistic coefficients) between permafrost and biophysical terrain parameters.
We supplied the logistic coefficients to biophysical terrain parameters (vegetation, aspect
and slope) mapped from remotely sensed data to estimate permafrost probability for each
pixel. We mapped pixels with probability greater than 0.5 as underlain by near-surface
permafrost (permafrost present) and pixels with probability less than 0.5 as devoid of
permafrost (permafrost absent). Open Spruce, Closed Spruce, and Mixed Spruce and
Deciduous were the dominant vegetation classes covering 82% of the total vegetated area.
The study found 45% of the total vegetated area and 37% of the total study area as
underlain by near-surface permafrost. Permafrost map based on the interpretation of
airborne EM resistivity data shows 22.5 – 43.5% of the total study area as underlain by
permafrost. Permafrost distribution statistics from both maps suggest that permafrost
distribution in the study area is sporadic (10 – 50 % area underlain by permafrost) instead of
discontinuous (50 – 90% area underlain by permafrost) as previously reported.