Landsat TM mapping of evidence for current wind activity in northern Fennoscandia

Hybrid classification of 11 Landsat TM quarter images ( circa 81000km2) was performed in an attempt to locate and quantify areas of sand transported by wind in Lapland. The data were employed in the k-means clustering algorithm after grey-level thresholding, and the resulting normal distribution parameters were used in a maximum likelihood classification. In order to achieve an unbiased classification result, post-classificational manual interpretation was used for selecting the best possible class combination with the aid of ground data and field checks. Wind activity was found on early Holocene anchored inland dunes, glaciofluvial deposits,and in localised areas on fell slopes.Aeolian processes are mainly operative in the mountain birch woodland and treeless tundra north of the Scots Pine forest zone. Sixty-three current localities with a total area of deflated surfaces of circa 10km2 (1000ha) were identified in the study region.