Machine learning for cryospheric mass movements: challenges and pathways
Cryospheric mass movements (CMMs) are accelerating under rapid Arctic and high-mountain warming, yet understanding and predicting them remains challenging due to sparse observations, complex multi-scale processes, and shifting environmental baselines. This Perspective argues that machine learning should advance CMM science not only through prediction, but through transferable and physics-aware inference. We outline a roadmap centered on benchmark datasets, cross-scale generalization, and transdisciplinary collaboration for scientifically grounded hazard assessment.
Authors
- Louise M. Vick (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9159-071X)
- Chandi Witharana (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7587-535X)
- G. J. Wolken (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6101-1749)
- Lukas U. Arenson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7172-6683)
- Alexandra Runge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5047-0105)
- S. Nagendra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4350-0307)
- Shemin Ge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0960-1609)
- te pei
- Chaopeng Shen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0685-1901)
- Yingli Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4458-360X)
- Charlotte Pearson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5106-6534)
- Tong Qiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2516-6851)
- Joseph Young
- Nicole Guinn
- Louise Farquharson
- Michael E. West
- Helena Bergstadt
- Margaret Darrow
- Ingmar Nitze
Institutions
- City College of New York (US)
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung (DE)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- University of Alaska Fairbanks (US)
- University of Sussex (GB)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- University of Utah (US)
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources (US)
- BGC Engineering (Canada) (CA)
- Landesklinikum Korneuburg (AT)
- GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (DE)
- Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys
- University of Houston (US)
- Stony Brook University (US)
- Wilfrid Laurier University (CA)
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj natural hazards.
- Published
- 2026-04-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44304-026-00206-7
- Primary Topic
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Park Service