Spatial and thermal characteristics of mountain permafrost, Northwest Canada

The mountain cryospere - a holistic view on processes and their interactions

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
An extensive network of monitoring stations was used to develop a mean annual air temperature map for the complex mountainous terrain in the southern Yukon and northern British Columbia. Relationships between air and ground surface temperatures, expressed as freezing and thawing n-factors, vary significantly with vegetation type and hence elevational band, with the lowest values for the forested zone and the highest for non-maritime alpine tundra. Equilibrium modelling carried out for one site in the southern part of the region and one in the northern part illustrates the impacts of the differing n-factors on trends in mean ground surface temperature with elevation. Given the range of air temperatures and n-factors, permafrost is possible throughout the Yukon but higher temperatures southward and stronger lapse rates mean that a lower elevational limit exists in northern British Columbia.


Type de document :
Article de monographie

Source :
Geografiska annaler. Series A. Physical geography, issn : 0435-3676, 2012, vol. 94, n°. 2, p. 195-213, nombre de pages : 19, Références bibliographiques : 48 ref.

Date :
2012

Editeur :
Pays édition : Suede, Stockholm, Svenska sällskapet för antropologi och geografi