Brief communication: On the potential of dual-coil frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) systems to detect frozen layers in mountain permafrost environments

Abstract. Frequency Domain Electromagnetic (FDEM) methods are still rarely applied in mountain permafrost environments, such as rock glaciers. Here, we test a separable dual-coil FDEM system at four mountain permafrost sites and compare the results with Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), the most commonly geophysical method applied in these environments. The comparison shows that FDEM can reproduce key subsurface features identified by ERT and highlights the potential of separable dual-coil FDEM systems for a straightforward, preliminary, first-order assessment of subsurface structures in mountain permafrost environments.