Characteristics and persistence of relict high-altitude permafrost on Mahan Mountain, Loess Plateau, China

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

XIE, C.

Cryosphere Research station on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Key Lab. of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Inst., Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Chine

Dept. of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada

GOUGH, W.A.

Dept. of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada

TAM, A.

Dept. of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada

ZHAO, L.

WU, T.

Description :
Mahan Mountain is the only region in the Loess Plateau (China) where permafrost persists. The permafrost is typical warm permafrost and remains in a very fragile and sensitive state. The distribution and thermal state of permafrost on Mahan Mountain closely relate to the surface conditions and soil type. In this study, the important protective effects of the peat layer and ground ice are illustrated using a one-dimensional finite difference model of heat flow. The simulation results indicate that active-layer thickness of permafrost on Mahan Mountain would increase by approximately 83 per cent under current climate conditions without the protection of the peat layer and ground ice. Based on the temperature projections of general circulation models, this study projects that permafrost will likely remain on Mahan Mountain for the next 40 to 50 years.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Permafrost and periglacial processes, issn : 1045-6740, 2013, vol. 24, n°. 3, p. 200-209, nombre de pages : 10, Références bibliographiques : 1 p.

Date :
2013

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley

Langue :
Anglais