Karianne Staalesen Lilleøren

• Andersen, Gard L.; Bakken, Kristian B.; Dauvi, Adriana Amundsen; Dunnett, Kirsty; Haakens, Torjus & Hansen, Ida Helene Magnor [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2025). Co-Creation in Practice: Redesigning a Geoscience Bachelor Course. Teaching and Learning Inquiry. ISSN 2167-4779. 13. doi: 10.20343/teachlearninqu.13.44. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Co-creation has the potential to enhance the quality of university education through its impact on course delivery and the participants’ learning experiences, but it is often not straightforward to realise. We present a case study of a student-initiated co-creation project where students, course teachers, and student administration worked together to improve an introductory geoscience course at a Norwegian university. A thematic analysis of participants’ reflections and interviews shows positive meta-cognitive, affective, and social effects similar to the results of other studies on co-creation. Students and staff brought complementary expertise to course development, and establishing a common pedagogical framework provided a shared language and basis for informed argumentation and negotiation. The process of co-creation also required an expertise of its own. For example, students initially struggled to recognise how they could contribute to the project, and while examples of other co-creation projects were helpful, students found local (culturally, geographically, subject-specific) examples of student involvement most relatable. We discuss how equity and power concerns were addressed in the working group, and how course representatives and discussion-based midterm evaluations partly addressed diversity and inclusivity challenges. The alignment of student initiative, access to funding for student salaries, and teachers primed to try a co-creation approach all contributed to this co-creation project. This suggests that even in an educational system known for its flat hierarchy and promotion of democracy and equality, catalysts and explicit support are important to promote co-creation.

• Barnes, Thomas; Schuler, Thomas; Filhol, Simon & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2024). A machine learning approach to the geomorphometric detection of ribbed moraines in Norway. Earth Surface Dynamics. ISSN 2196-6311. 12(3), p. 801–818. doi: 10.5194/esurf-12-801-2024. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Machine learning is a powerful yet underutilised tool in geomorphology, commonly used for image-based pattern recognition. Analysing new high-resolution (1–10 m) elevation datasets, we investigate its usefulness for detecting discrete geomorphological features. This study develops a machine-learning-based method for identifying ribbed moraines in digital elevation data and progresses to test its performance versus time-consuming, manual methods. Ribbed moraines share geomorphometric characteristics with other glacial landforms, hence representing a valuable test of our new methodology in terms of differentiating between similar features, and for detecting landforms with similar characteristics. Furthermore, mapping ribbed moraines may provide valuable indications of their origin, a topic of debate within glacial geomorphology. To automatically detect ribbed moraines, we extract simple morphometrics from high-resolution digital elevation model data and mask regions where ribbed moraines are unlikely to form. We then test several machine learning algorithms before examining the best performer (K-means clustering) for three study areas of 15 km2 in Norway. Our results demonstrate a balanced accuracy of 65 %–75 % when validating versus ground-truthing. The performance depends on the availability of high-resolution elevation data in Norway that are needed to resolve the spatial scale of the target (10–100 m). We find the method effective at detecting both fields of ribbed moraines, as well as individual ribbed moraines. We propose pathways for the future implementation of this method on a large scale and for increasing the detail of information gained about detected landforms. In conclusion, we demonstrate K-means clustering as a promising method for detecting ribbed moraines, with great potential to reduce the time needed to produce landform maps.

• Renette, Cas; Aalstad, Kristoffer; Aga, Juditha; Zweigel, Robin Benjamin; Etzelmüller, Bernd & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2023). Simulating the effect of subsurface drainage on the thermal regime and ground ice in blocky terrain in Norway. Earth Surface Dynamics. ISSN 2196-6311. 11(1), p. 33–50. doi: 10.5194/esurf-11-33-2023. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ground temperatures in coarse, blocky deposits such as mountain blockfields and rock glaciers have long been observed to be lower in comparison with other (sub)surface material. One of the reasons for this negative temperature anomaly is the lower soil moisture content in blocky terrain, which decreases the duration of the zero curtain in autumn. Here we used the CryoGrid community model to simulate the effect of drainage on the ground thermal regime and ground ice in blocky terrain permafrost at two sites in Norway. The model set-up is based on a one-dimensional model domain and features a surface energy balance, heat conduction and advection, as well as a bucket water scheme with adjustable lateral drainage. We used three idealized subsurface stratigraphies, blocks only, blocks with sediment and sediment only, which can be either drained (i.e. with strong lateral subsurface drainage) or undrained (i.e. without drainage), resulting in six scenarios. The main difference between the three stratigraphies is their ability to retain water against drainage: while the blocks only stratigraphy can only hold small amounts of water, much more water is retained within the sediment phase of the two other stratigraphies, which critically modifies the freeze–thaw behaviour. The simulation results show markedly lower ground temperatures in the blocks only, drained scenario compared to other scenarios, with a negative thermal anomaly of up to 2.2 ∘C. For this scenario, the model can in particular simulate the time evolution of ground ice, with build-up during and after snowmelt and spring and gradual lowering of the ice table in the course of the summer season. The thermal anomaly increases with larger amounts of snowfall, showing that well-drained blocky deposits are less sensitive to insulation by snow than other soils. We simulate stable permafrost conditions at the location of a rock glacier in northern Norway with a mean annual ground surface temperature of 2.0–2.5 ∘C in the blocks only, drained simulations. Finally, transient simulations since 1951 at the rock glacier site (starting with permafrost conditions for all stratigraphies) showed a complete loss of perennial ground ice in the upper 5 m of the ground in the blocks with sediment, drained run; a 1.6 m lowering of the ground ice table in the sediment only, drained run; and only 0.1 m lowering in the blocks only, drained run. The interplay between the subsurface water–ice balance and ground freezing/thawing driven by heat conduction can at least partly explain the occurrence of permafrost in coarse blocky terrain below the elevational limit of permafrost in non-blocky sediments. It is thus important to consider the subsurface water–ice balance in blocky terrain in future efforts in permafrost distribution mapping in mountainous areas. Furthermore, an accurate prediction of the evolution of the ground ice table in a future climate can have implications for slope stability, as well as water resources in arid environments.

• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmüller, Bernd; Rouyet, Line; Eiken, Trond; Slinde, Gaute Aasen & Hilbich, Christin (2022). Transitional rock glaciers at sea level in northern Norway. Earth Surface Dynamics. ISSN 2196-6311. 10(5), p. 975–996. doi: 10.5194/esurf-10-975-2022. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rock glaciers are geomorphological expressions of permafrost. Close to sea level in northernmost Norway, in the subarctic Nordkinn peninsula, we have observed several rock glaciers that appear to be active now or were active in the recent past. Active rock glaciers at this elevation have never before been described in Fennoscandia, and they are outside the climatic limits of present-day permafrost according to models. In this study, we have investigated whether or not these rock glaciers are active under the current climate situation. We made detailed geomorphological maps of three rock glacier areas in Nordkinn and investigated the regional ground dynamics using synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR). One of the rock glaciers, namely the Ivarsfjorden rock glacier, was investigated in more detail by combining observations of vertical and horizontal changes from optical images acquired by airborne and terrestrial sensors and terrestrial laser scans (TLSs). The subsurface of the same rock glacier was investigated using a combination of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and refraction seismic tomography (RST). We also measured ground surface temperatures between 2016 and 2020, complemented by investigations using an infrared thermal camera, and a multi-decadal climatic analysis. We mapped the rock glaciers in the innermost parts of Store and Lille Skogfjorden as relict, while the more active ones are in the mouths of both fjords, fed by active talus in the upper slopes. Several of the rock glaciers cross over both the Younger Dryas shoreline (25 m a.s.l.) and the Early to Mid-Holocene shoreline at 13 m a.s.l. Both InSAR and optical remote sensing observations reveal low yearly movement rates (centimetres to millimetres per year). The ERT and RST suggest that there is no longer permafrost and ground ice in the rock glacier, while temperature observations on the front slope indicate freezing conditions also in summer. Based on the in situ temperature measurements and the interpolated regional temperature data, we show that the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) of the region has risen by 2 ∘C since the late 19th century to about 1.5 ∘C in the last decade. MAATs below 0 ∘C 100–150 years ago suggest that new rock glacier lobes may have formed at the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA). These combined results indicate that the Nordkinn rock glaciers are transitioning from active to relict stages. The study shows that transitional rock glaciers are still affected by creep, rock falls, snow avalanches, etc., and are not entirely dynamically dead features. Our contrasting results concerning permafrost presence and rock glacier activity show the importance of a multi-methodological approach when investigating slope processes in the edge zones of permafrost influence.

• Bertone, Aldo; Barboux, Chloé; Bodin, Xavier; Bolch, Tobias; Brardinoni, Francesco & Caduff, Rafael [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2022). Incorporating InSAR kinematics into rock glacier inventories: insights from 11 regions worldwide. The Cryosphere. ISSN 1994-0416. 16(7), p. 2769–2792. doi: 10.5194/tc-16-2769-2022. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rock glaciers are landforms related to permafrost creep that are sensitive to climate variability and change. Their spatial distribution and kinematic behaviour can be critical for managing water resources and geohazards in periglacial areas. Rock glaciers have been inventoried for decades worldwide, often without assessment of their kinematics. The availability of remote sensing data however makes the inclusion of kinematic information potentially feasible, but requires a common methodology in order to create homogeneous inventories. In this context, the International Permafrost Association (IPA) Action Group on rock glacier inventories and kinematics (2018–2023), with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) Permafrost Climate Change Initiative (CCI) project, is defining standard guidelines for the inclusion of kinematic information within inventories. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of applying common rules proposed by the Action Group in 11 regions worldwide. Spaceborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) was used to characterise identifiable moving areas related to rock glaciers, applying a manual and a semi-automated approach. Subsequently, these areas were used to assign kinematic information to rock glaciers in existing or newly compiled inventories. More than 5000 moving areas and more than 3600 rock glaciers were classified according to their kinematics. The method and the preliminary results were analysed. We identified drawbacks related to the intrinsic limitations of InSAR and to various applied strategies regarding the integration of non-moving rock glaciers in some investigated regions. This is the first internationally coordinated work that incorporates kinematic attributes within rock glacier inventories at a global scale. The results show the value of designing standardised inventorying procedures for periglacial geomorphology.

• Rouyet, Line; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Böhme, Martina; Vick, Louise Mary; Delaloye, Reynald & Etzelmüller, Bernd [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Regional Morpho-Kinematic Inventory of Slope Movements in Northern Norway. Frontiers in Earth Science. 9. doi: 10.3389/feart.2021.681088. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mountain slopes in periglacial environments are affected by frost- and gravity-driven processes that shape the landscape. Both rock glaciers and rockslides have been intensively inventoried worldwide. Although most inventories are traditionally based on morphologic criteria, kinematic approaches based on satellite remote sensing have more recently been used to identify moving landforms at the regional scale. In this study, we developed simplified Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) products to inventory ground velocity in a region in Northern Norway covering approximately 7,500 km 2 . We used a multiple temporal baseline InSAR stacking procedure based on 2015–2019 ascending and descending Sentinel-1 images to take advantage of a large set of interferograms and exploit different detection capabilities. First, moving areas are classified according to six velocity brackets, and morphologically associated to six landform types (rock glaciers, rockslides, glaciers/moraines, talus/scree deposits, solifluction/cryoturbation and composite landforms). The kinematic inventory shows that the velocity ranges and spatial distribution of the different types of slope processes vary greatly within the study area. Second, we exploit InSAR to update pre-existing inventories of rock glaciers and rockslides in the region. Landform delineations and divisions are refined, and newly detected landforms (54 rock glaciers and 20 rockslides) are incorporated into the databases. The updated inventories consist of 414 rock glacier units within 340 single- or multi-unit(s) systems and 117 rockslides. A kinematic attribute assigned to each inventoried landform documents the order of magnitude of the creep rate. Finally, we show that topo-climatic variables influence the spatial distribution of the rock glaciers. Their mean elevation increases toward the continental interior with a dominance of relict landforms close to the land-sea margin and an increased occurrence of active landforms further inland. Both rock glaciers and rockslides are mostly located on west-facing slopes and in areas characterised by strongly foliated rocks, which suggests the influence of geological preconditioning factors. The study demonstrates the value of semi-quantitative InSAR products to characterise kinematic information at large scale and exploit the results for periglacial research. It highlights the complementarity of both kinematic and morphologic approaches for inventorying slope processes.

• Etzelmüller, Bernd; Patton, Henry; Schomacker, Anders; Czekirda, Justyna; Girod, Luc Maurice Ramuntcho & Hubbard, Alun Lloyd [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). Icelandic permafrost dynamics since the Last Glacial Maximum – model results and geomorphological implications. Quaternary Science Reviews. ISSN 0277-3791. 233:106236. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106236. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Iceland’s periglacial realm is one of the most dynamic on the planet, with active geomorphologicalprocesses and high weathering rates of young bedrock resulting in high sediment yields and ongoingmass movement. Permafrost is discontinuous in Iceland’s highlands and mountains over c. 800 m a.s.l,and sporadic in palsa mires in the central highlands. During the late Pleistocene and Holocene, Iceland’speriglacial environment varied considerably in time and space, dominated by glacialfluctuations andperiglacial processes. To evaluate the dynamics of permafrost in Iceland since the last deglaciation, weuse the output of a coupled climate/ice sheet model to force a transient permafrost model (CryoGRID 2)from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) through to the present. Wefind that permafrost was widespreadacross the deglaciated areas of western, northern and eastern Iceland after the LGM, and that up to 20% ofIceland’s terrestrial area was underlain by permafrost throughout the late Pleistocene. This influencedgeomorphological processes and landform generation: the early collapse of the marine-based ice sheettogether with the aggradation of permafrost in these zones initiated the formation of abundant and nowrelict rock glaciers across coastal margins. Permafrost degraded rapidly after the Younger Dryas, with amarked impact on slope stability. Permafrost that formed during the Little Ice Age is again thawingrapidly, and an escalation in slope failure and mass-movement might be currently underway. Our studydemonstrates that large regions of Iceland have been underlain by permafrost for millennia, facilitatinglandform development and influencing the stability of steep slopes

• Karjalainen, Olli; Luoto, Miska; Aalto, Juha; Etzelmüller, Bernd; Grosse, Guido & Jones, Benjamin M. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). High potential for loss of permafrost landforms in a changing climate. Environmental Research Letters. 15(10). doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/abafd5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The presence of ground ice in Arctic soils exerts a major effect on permafrost hydrology and ecology, and factors prominently into geomorphic landform development. As most ground ice has accumulated in near-surface permafrost, it is sensitive to variations in atmospheric conditions. Typical and regionally widespread permafrost landforms such as pingos, ice-wedge polygons, and rock glaciers are closely tied to ground ice. However, under ongoing climate change, suitable environmental spaces for preserving landforms associated with ice-rich permafrost may be rapidly disappearing. We deploy a statistical ensemble approach to model, for the first time, the current and potential future environmental conditions of three typical permafrost landforms, pingos, ice-wedge polygons and rock glaciers across the Northern Hemisphere. We show that by midcentury, the landforms are projected to lose more than one-fifth of their suitable environments under a moderate climate scenario (RCP4.5) and on average around one-third under a very high baseline emission scenario (RCP8.5), even when projected new suitable areas for occurrence are considered. By 2061–2080, on average more than 50% of the recent suitable conditions can be lost (RCP8.5). In the case of pingos and ice-wedge polygons, geographical changes are mainly attributed to alterations in thawing-season precipitation and air temperatures. Rock glaciers show air temperature-induced regional changes in suitable conditions strongly constrained by topography and soil properties. The predicted losses could have important implications for Arctic hydrology, geo- and biodiversity, and to the global climate system through changes in biogeochemical cycles governed by the geomorphology of permafrost landscapes. Moreover, our projections provide insights into the circumpolar distribution of various ground ice types and help inventory permafrost landforms in unmapped regions.

• Malm, Rie Hjørnegaard; Lundmark, Anders Mattias & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2017). Interviewing researchers – introducing first year bachelor students to their scientific discipline. Nordic Journal of STEM Education. 1(1), p. 140–144. doi: 10.5324/njsteme.v1i1.2248. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Humlum, Ole; Nesje, Atle & Etzelmuller, Bernd (2013). Holocene development and geomorphic processes at Omnsbreen, southern Norway: Evidence for glacier-permafrost interactions. The Holocene. ISSN 0959-6836. 23(6), p. 796–809. doi: 10.1177/0959683612471984. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmuller, Bernd; Gärtner-Roer, Isabelle; Kääb, Andreas; Westermann, Sebastian & Gudmundsson, Agust (2013). The Distribution, Thermal Characteristics and Dynamics of Permafrost in Tröllaskagi, Northern Iceland, as Inferred from the Distribution of Rock Glaciers and Ice-Cored Moraines. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. ISSN 1045-6740. 24(4), p. 322–335. doi: 10.1002/ppp.1792. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmuller, Bernd; Schuler, Thomas; Gisnås, Kjersti & Humlum, Ole (2012). The relative age of mountain permafrost - estimation of Holocene permafrost limits in Norway. Global and Planetary Change. ISSN 0921-8181. 92-93, p. 209–223. doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2012.05.016. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen & Etzelmuller, Bernd (2011). A regional inventory of rock glaciers and ice-cored moraines in Norway. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography. ISSN 0435-3676. 93A(3), p. 175–191. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-0459.2011.00430.x. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen & Humlum, Ole (2008). The Omnsbreen glacier: Possible aggrading permafrost, southern central Norway. In Kane, Douglas L. & Hinkel, Kenneth M. (Ed.), NICOP 2008 - Ninth International Conference on Permafrost. Institute of Northern Engeneering, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ISSN 9780980017922. p. 185–186. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

• Lundmark, Anders Mattias; Bakken, Kristian Bjelbøle; Anell, Ingrid; Augland, Lars Eivind; Conrad, Clinton Phillips & Dunkel, Kristina G [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2025). Why don’t my students come to class? Full text in Research Archive
• Lundmark, Anders Mattias; Bakken, Kristian Bjelbøle; Anell, Ingrid; Augland, Lars Eivind; Conrad, Clinton Phillips & Dunkel, Kristina G [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2025). “Why don’t my students come to class?”. Full text in Research Archive
• Lundmark, Anders Mattias; Bakken, Kristian Bjelbøle; Anell, Ingrid; Augland, Lars Eivind; Conrad, Clinton Phillips & Dunkel, Kristina G [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2025). “Why don’t my students come to class?”. Full text in Research Archive
• Skogvoll, Vidar; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen & Anell, Ingrid (2024). Real læring - Realistfabrikken: Hvordan lage geoviter. [Radio]. Podcast. Full text in Research Archive
• Alencar, Mariana Stark de; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Lundmark, Anders Mattias; Manengen, Åse; Roan, Per Christian Holm & Sickel, Ragnhild Kolberg [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Promoting geoscience for the next generation - On the hunt for future geoscientists. Full text in Research Archive
• Åkesson, Henning; Kjellin, Simen; Hirsti, Linn Katrine; Etzelmüller, Bernd & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2023). Utstilling: Arven etter Esmark – Fra oppdagelsen av istiden til dens betydning for dagens forskning. Full text in Research Archive
• Etzelmüller, Bernd; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Conrad, Clinton Phillips; Åkesson, Henning & Lund, Martin (2023). GeoOnsdag Spesial "Arven etter Esmark" - Sjå opptak frå foredraget. [Internet]. https://www.mn.uio.no/geo/om/organisasjon/geohyd/aktuelt/geo. Full text in Research Archive
• Åkesson, Henning; Etzelmüller, Bernd; Lund, Erik Martin; Conrad, Clinton Phillips & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2023). Arven etter Esmark - GeoOnsdag Spesial. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Arven etter Esmark, Bernd Etzelmüller/Karianne Lilleøren Imagining Esmark’s Lost Scandinavian Ice, Clint Conrad Gårsdagens is - fremtidens fasit, Henning Åkesson Wind of change, Martin Lund

• Andersen, Guro Lilledal; Dauvi, Adriana Amundsen; Hansen, Ida Helene Magnor; Lundmark, Anders Mattias; Bakken, Kristian Bjelbøle & Haakens, Torjus [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Student and staff co-creation – How to develop geoscience education together. Full text in Research Archive
• Rouyet, Line; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmüller, Bernd; Kääb, Andreas Max; Christiansen, Hanne H. & Humlum, Ole [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). SAR satellite remote sensing for mapping and monitoring Norwegian rock glaciers. Full text in Research Archive
• Andersen, Guro Lilledal; Bakken, Kristian Bjelbøle; Dauvi, Adriana Amundsen; Haakens, Torjus; Hansen, Ida Helene Magnor & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Bringing in the experts – an example of pro-active co-planning of a second semester bachelor course. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the spring of 2020, as the 2d semester geoscience-course GEO1110 ended, the students asked for a meeting with the teachers. As the students explained why they struggled with the course, the idea for a student task force was borne. Ahead of and during the course in 2021, five students worked with the teachers on pro-active co-planning of the course. In our presentation, we describe how the task force worked, share our experiences, and evaluate them in a Students as Partners framework1, 2. The challenge ahead is to turn a task force into continuous co-creation involving all interested students3. 1 Healey, M., Flint, A., & Harrington, K. (2014). Engagement through partnership: Students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education. York: Higher Education Academy. 2 Bovill, C. (2020). Co-creating Learning and Teaching: Towards relational pedagogy in higher education. Critical Publishing. 3 Bovill, C. (2020). Co-creation in learning and teaching: the case for a whole-class approach in higher education. Higher Education, 79, 1023-1037.

• Malm, Rie Hjørnegaard; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen & Lundmark, Anders Mattias (2017). Linking students and lecturers – a first year student-staff interview project. Full text in Research Archive
• Malm, Rie Hjørnegaard; Lundmark, Anders Mattias & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2017). Interviewing researchers-­‐introducing first year bachelor students to their scientific discipline. Full text in Research Archive
• Lundmark, Anders Mattias & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2015). Back to the drawing Board - An example of sketching as a teaching tool in geoscience education. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Gärtner-Roer, Isabelle & Etzelmuller, Bernd (2013). Permafrost landforms in the Tröllaskagi peninsula, northern Iceland – implications for the deglaciation pattern. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2013). Permafrost i norske fjell. Tinende topper og minkende multemyrer. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmuller, Bernd; Gisnås, Kjersti; Humlum, Ole & Schuler, Thomas (2013). Relative age and Holocene distribution of permafrost in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2013). Klimaendringer i Norge, tsunamirisiko? Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Gärtner-Roer, Isabelle & Etzelmuller, Bernd (2012). A new assessment of distribution and activity of permafrost landforms in the Tröllaskagi peninsula, northern Iceland. Full text in Research Archive
• Westermann, Sebastian; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Schuler, Thomas; Gisnås, Kjersti & Etzelmuller, Bernd (2012). Towards operational permafrost modelling for Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Farbrot, Herman; Isaksen, Ketil; Etzelmuller, Bernd; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Hauck, Christian & Hilbich, Christin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2011). Two-dimensional distribution of ground temperatures at Iskoras, northern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmuller, Bernd; Gisnås, Kjersti & Schuler, Thomas (2011). Estimating depth and spatial distribution of Holocene permafrost in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Gärtner-Roer, Isabelle; Etzelmuller, Bernd & Gudmundsson, Agust (2011). A new assessment of rock glacier distribution in Tröllaskagi peninsula, northern Iceland. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmuller, Bernd; Gisnås, Kjersti & Humlum, Ole (2011). Age and spatial distribution of Holocene permafrost in Norway – model results and implications for glacier-permafrost interaction. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmuller, Bernd; Gisnås, Kjersti & Humlum, Ole (2011). Interaction between Holocene permafrost and glaciers in Norwegian mountains. Full text in Research Archive
• Etzelmuller, Bernd; Farbrot, Herman; Gudmundsson, Agust & Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2010). 7 years of permafrost monitoring in Iceland - updated results and geomorphological implications. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen & Etzelmuller, Bernd (2010). A regional inventory of landforms indicating alpine permafrost in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen & Etzelmuller, Bernd (2010). A regional inventory of landforms indicating alpine permafrost in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Etzelmuller, Bernd; Humlum, Ole; Isaksen, Ketil; Schuler, Thomas; Skaugen, Thomas & Ødegård, Rune Strand [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2009). CRYOLINK - Permafrost and seasonal frost in Southern Norway: understanding and modelling the atmosphere-ground temperature. Full text in Research Archive
• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen (2008). Omnsbreen - utbredelse og dynamikk under "Den lille istid" og gjennom det 20. århundre. Full text in Research Archive
• Barnes, Thomas; Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen & Schuler, Thomas (2025). Subglacial geomorphology of Norway: ribbed moraines, the bedform continuum and localised geomorphological reconstruction of the Fennoscandian deglaciation. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mapping and interpreting subglacial landforms is important for understanding the processes in the interior of Quaternary glaciations and present-day ice sheets such as the Greenlandic and Antarctic ice sheets. While most studies have focused on marginal landforms such as terminal moraines, which have clearly defined morphology and little debate as to their formational processes, there have only been few previous studies into the subglacial environment. While these works provide a strong basis of knowledge surrounding bedforms subject to detailed study, at a large scale they were limited by historic data quality, which has since been improved. This means that today, there are limitations on how accurately we can model and understand Quaternary glaciations, such as the last glacial with the Fennoscandian ice sheet. Recent attempts to fill this research gap have primarily focused on Finland and Sweden, with a lesser focus on Norway. Thus, this thesis attempts to use former research and newly available high-quality and high-resolution data related to the interior of the Fennoscandian ice sheet to map and interpret subglacial landforms in Norway, with a focus on several study areas. Recent studies which have focused on murtoos, hummocks and ribbed moraines in Finland and Sweden have established a basis for this research. This thesis, specifically, focuses on examining ribbed moraines in greater detail, with a secondary focus on related bedforms and subglacial hydrology. Further, the research area of this thesis begins with inventorying ribbed moraines, but is aimed towards working with numerical modelling of geomorphology, rather than reconstructive mapping and cataloguing as an end goal. Ribbed moraines are a subglacial landform which occur as sinuous, elongate ridges which form transverse or oblique to former glacial flow orientation, and are typically found near transitional zones in the basal thermal regime of ice sheets. Despite the formational processes still being a topic of debate, recent works discuss concepts of a “landform continuum” and “equimorphology”, which provide a basis for considering ribbed moraines as a diverse indicator of subglacial conditions, from their formation to their preservation. It is, therefore, possible that ribbed moraines may be valuable in the geomorphological reconstruction of interior regions of former ice sheets. Updated, high-resolution spatial data provides a solid foundation for this thesis’ works, with regularly updated high-resolution elevation models and detailed superficial geological maps for the entire mainland of Norway. Further, data from the numerical modelling of the Fennoscandian ice sheet, combined with this high-resolution data enable this thesis to map ribbed moraines at a 10-metre scale across all of Norway, and then to infer glacial, hydrological and morphological conditions of ribbed moraines. Furthermore, using the inferred conditions, I produce a detailed and geomorphologically-grounded reconstruction of local ice dynamics in the interior of the Fennoscandian ice sheet. Furthermore, this thesis develops understanding into the distribution of ribbed moraines, providing observations which are then used for the detailed reconstruction of two study regions near the ice divide of the former Fennoscandian ice sheet. For this, I used the time period between the last glacial Maximum to the complete deglaciation of the former ice sheet (20 – 25 ka BP – 9 ka BP). This was done by using a combination of K-means clustering (unsupervised machine learning algorithm) on elevation model data, spatial statistical analysis of the results, and geomorphological observations. With this, I address the overall goals by first adding new understanding of how ribbed moraines are formed relating to their related glacial dynamics, hydrology and morphology; and then using this to provide insight into the processes and conditions in the interior of the Fennoscandian ice sheet. I conducted this research in several steps, producing three articles. The first addresses the problem of mapping and cataloguing ribbed moraines, the second addresses their formational conditions via spatial statistical analysis, and the third covers a detailed reconstruction of the ice dynamics and hydrology of the interior of the Fennoscandian ice sheet. Furthermore, the third paper also ties much of this research together, by forming connections between research outputs as a means of producing this reconstruction. Based on the results from paper 1, I find that machine learning methods are of great value to the automated mapping of glacial bedforms. While the focus was primarily on ribbed moraine, I found this methodology to be transferrable as long as characteristic morphologies were identifiable for the target landform. Furthermore, scalability was possible within this methodology, allowing for the machine learning methodology to be scaled up to larger areas and useable across a diverse set of general landscape morphologies. Paper 2 offers insights that support previous hypotheses of ribbed moraine formational conditions and shows that they can be formed and preserved under a general set of conditions. Specifically, these refer to where ice is relatively slow flowing, there is presence of water under high pressures but with low hydraulic gradient, and there is a general low slope to the landscape. These findings, whilst not groundbreaking in and of themselves, are useful in that they support previous research and understanding of how ribbed moraines form. As such, these findings supported and enabled the detailed reconstruction in paper 3. In combining this thesis' body of work, it is clear that the reconstruction as presented and interpreted here offers strong implications towards the conditions of the interior of former ice sheets. Further, my findings open up new directions and opportunities for future research, First, in addition to the hydrological relationships in this work, ribbed moraines display a spatial relationship with landforms produced by subglacial drainage such as eskers, drainage tracts, canyons and murtoos. Further, the quantity of water required for formation appears to be variable, with ribbed moraines being found in areas with differing footprints of hydrological activity in the geomorphological record, thus suggesting an equimorphological explanation for their formation. Furthermore, the spatial relationship that ribbed moraines display with glacially produced bedforms shows that ribbed moraines are transient, and develop continuously until they are preserved by exposure or cold-based ice. In connection with this, this thesis' findings suggest that the hydrological network under the Fennoscandian ice sheet may have been more destructive and dynamic than previously assumed, when considering the concept of "hydraulic drainage", as several possible subglacial drainage canyons are investigated through each study area. Finally, in coupling all the data used in Paper 3, there are implications of subglacial lakes being present in the interior of the former Fennoscandian Ice Sheet, indicating areas requiring further research. In all, the data and theoretical understanding offered up through my work in this thesis shows the potential of machine learning methods, high-resolution spatial data, and geomorphological reconstructions in developing new insights into former ice sheets.

• Lilleøren, Karianne Staalesen; Etzelmuller, Bernd & Humlum, Ole (2012). Late-Pleistocene and Holocene mountain permafrost geomorphology of Norway and Iceland. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The combined effect of glacial and periglacial processes on landscape evolution has recently been termed the ‘cryoconditioning’ of landscapes, and largely affect the Fennoscandian landmass. Further, the distribution of permafrost both temporally and spatially during and after the last glaciation affect the overall geomorphic expression. In this thesis the product of landscape evolution is investigated in terms of the geomorphic imprint of glacial and periglacial processes, where the interactions between glaciers and permafrost have been particularly focussed upon. Whereas the glacial variations over the Holocene are relatively well known the same is not the case for the permafrost distribution. As a starting point, inventories of landforms indicating present and former permafrost were compiled for mainland Norway and northern Iceland. The main findings from the inventories were (1) a low abundance of landforms in Norway and a high abundance of landforms in Iceland probably due to differences of bedrock competence, (2) an apparent change in processes leading to rock glacier formation occurred in mid-Holocene from a dry, periglacial regime characterizing early-Holocene to a humid, glacially-dominated regime in mid- to late-Holocene, and (3) warm and maritime permafrost regions are dominated by permafrost landforms formed by the influence of glaciers. For Iceland the occurrence of relict rock glaciers at sea level imply a possible earlier deglaciation or alternatively a less extensive Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) than commonly accepted. As a second step, modelling of permafrost variations over the Holocene was performed in depth and spatially, using a 1D heat flow model and a 2D equilibrium model (CryoGRID1.0). During the warm Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) the permafrost survived at high altitudes in southern Norway, whereas during the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA) the permafrost reached its greatest extent both in depth and spatially. From these results altitudinal zones of permafrost ages was suggested, analogous to age patterns for Arctic permafrost. From the Neoglaciation until present, the potential of glacier-permafrost interactions has been large. Thirdly, a case study of the currently very small glacier, or glacieret, Omnsbreen which formed and largely disappeared during the LIA was studied in terms of glacial geomorphic evidence for permafrost interaction. Modelled permafrost distribution for the LIA suggest permafrost presence in the Omnsbreen surroundings during its formation and decay, and the landform assemblage present at Omnsbreen is considered representative for mountain glaciers terminating into permafrost. Permafrost is currently only present sporadically in the Omnsbreen surroundings, and the glacier and permafrost underwent a parallel disintegration. The current geomorphic expression of Norway and northern Iceland is significantly affected by long-term interactions between the glacial, subglacial and ground thermal regimes.

View all works in NVA