Thaw modification of frost-fissure wedges,Richards Island,Pleistocene Mackenzie Delta,Western Arctic Canada

Thaw modification is the general process whereby frost-fissure wedges are modified during thaw, and by which frost-fissure pseudomorphs may develop. Specific processes of thaw modification are inferred from ice-wedge pseudomorphs, composite-wedge pseudomorphs and deformed sand wedges in the Pleistocene Mackenzie Delta: i.e. thermal erosion, collapse, subsidence, refreezing, loading, buoyancy, spreading, folding and shearing. Thaw modification is believed to result in selective preservation of pseudomorphs and wedges. Sand wedges are more likely to be preserved than are ice-wedge pseudomorphs or compositewedge pseudomorphs, because only those sand wedges that penetrate massive ice or icy sediments are prone to thaw modification. Furthermore, whereas ice wedges preferentially develop in ice-rich, fine-grained sediments (thaw-sensitive), their pseudomorphs appear to be selectively preserved in ice-poor, coarse-grained sediments (thaw-stable).     

Assessment of frozen-ground conditions for engineering geology along the Qinghai–Tibet highway and railway, China

The Qinghai–Tibet Highway and Railway (the Corridor) across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau traverses 670 km of permafrost and seasonally frozen-ground in the interior of the Plateau, which is sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic environmental changes. The frozen-ground conditions for engineering geology along the Corridor is complicated by the variability in the near-surface lithology, and the mosaic presence of warm permafrost and talik in a periglacial environment. Differential settlement is the major frost-effect problem encountered over permafrost areas. The traditional classification of frozen ground based on the areal distribution of permafrost is too generalized for engineering purposes and a more refined classification is necessary for engineering design and construction. A proposed classification of 51 zones, sub-zones, and sections of frozen ground has been widely adopted for the design and construction of foundations in the portion of the Corridor studied. The mean annual ground temperature (MAGT), near-surface soil types and moisture content, and active faults and topography are most commonly the primary controlling factors in this classification. However, other factors, such as local microreliefs, drainage conditions, and snow and vegetation covers also exert important influences on the features of frozen ground. About 60% of the total length of the Corridor studied possesses reasonably good frozen-ground conditions, which do not need special mitigative measures for frost hazards. However, other sections, such as warm and ice-rich or -saturated permafrost, particularly in the sections in wetlands, ground improvement measures such as elevated land bridges and passive or proactive cooling techniques need to be applied to ensure the long-term stability of thermally unstable, thick permafrost subsoils, and/or refill with non-frost-susceptible soils. Due to the long-history of the construction and management of the Corridor by various government departments, adverse impacts of construction and operation on the permafrost environment have been resulted. It is recommended that an integrated, executable plan for the routing of major construction projects within this transportation corridor be established and long-term monitoring networks installed for evaluating and mitigating the impact from anthropogenic and climatic changes in frozen-ground conditions.     

中国-俄罗斯原油管道工程(漠河-大庆段)冻土工程地质考察与研究进展

在2005-2007年期间,先后3次对中国-俄罗斯原油管道漠河-大庆段沿线的冻土工程地质条件等进行科学考察,开展了冻土工程地质条件及其在气候变化和人类活动作用下的评价和预测研究.考察研究结果表明:管道沿线多年冻土在各类融区、季节冻土和水系等分隔作用下呈片状或岛状分布,沿线岛状、稀疏岛状及零星岛状占多年冻土区段的40%左右;管道沿线多年冻土随着气候的转暖和人类活动的影响不断退化.地形地貌单元、植被分布、地表水分条件的变化等局部因素对多年冻土的分布和地下冰的赋存产生重要的影响,管道沿线大约分布有50 km左右的沼泽湿地,其表层为腐殖质土及泥炭层,泥炭层下面分布着含土冰层或地下冰,是管道沿线最差的冻土工程地质地段;由于中俄原油管道沿线水系发育多,冻胀丘、冰椎和冰幔等不良冻土现象广泛分布.科学考察的成果为管道沿线冻土工程地质条件评价和预测、管道的稳定性影响分析以及后期的长期检测系统设置等研究奠定坚实的基础,进一步为即将开工的中俄原油管道漠河-大庆段工程的设计、施工提供科学依据.     

东北大兴安岭多年冻土区工程地质特征及评价

土体在冻结状态具有极高的压缩模量, 具有弹性体的工程地质特征。但是在冻土地温升高过程中, 这种特征急剧衰减, 产生蠕变和流变, 建筑物地基强度降低, 导致建筑物基础破坏。同时土体在冻结过程中产生的冻胀作用也将导致建筑物基础的破坏。东北大兴安岭地区多年冻土为高纬度低海拔多年冻土, 其分布具有明显纬度地带性特点。本文在分析该区多年冻土分布特征及冻土工程地质特点的基础上, 对由于土体的冻胀和融沉导致的建筑物基础的危害进行分类研究, 针对性的提出了用热棒降低土体温度以保证多年冻土稳定及用排水的方法减少水对建筑物地基多年冻土影响的工程病害处理措施。     

青藏高原清水河多年冻土区铁路路基沉降变形特征研究

通过埋设在青藏铁路路基中两个断面内的6条沉降观测管3 a来的地基沉降变形资料,研究了高原多年冻土区铁路路基的沉降变形特征,分析了填筑铁路路基对下伏多年冻土融化变形的影响。研究表明,由于受到填筑路基时赋存在路基填料内的热量的影响,铁路路基下伏多年冻土上限在施工初期会有一个明显的下移沉降,铁路路基也随之有一个较大幅度的工后下沉变动,随着时间的推移,路基下降速率会逐渐下降,但在短时间内不会停止下来,而且由于太阳辐射和路基边坡形状的影响,路基向阳面与背阴面的变形有较大的差别,且在近南北向展布的路基上表现最为明显。     

青藏铁路冻土区路基工程安全可靠性监测技术研究

通过对冻土区路基工程和冻土之间相互作用过程的分析,提出冻土区路基工程的安全可靠性监测关键技术一是监测方法,二是监测手段,三是数据分析。冻土区路基工程的安全可靠性首先取决于工程周围和工程基底多年冻土的热稳定性,其次取决于发生变形的路基填土厚度及其基底融化层厚度。因此,路基顶面以下不同深度地温监测和年际冻融季节时段路基土层变形监测是冻土区工程长期可靠性监测的主要指标。青藏铁路自然条件的严酷性,要求监测手段具有可靠性和耐久性以及对复杂自然条件变化的适应性。文章提出一种自动观测多年冻土地温和路基变形,并能够实现数据无线传输的现场监测系统设计方案,通过现场试验,证明这种监测系统能够适应青藏高原恶劣的自然条件,减轻了人工监测的劳苦,具有可靠性和耐久性。作者还提出了能够简便判断冻土区工程安全可靠性的监测数据分析方法,对目前冻土区工程安全可靠性分析具有一定的理论指导作用。     

青藏公路多年冻土区冻土工程研究新进展

系统回顾了青藏高原多年冻土区公路工程冻土研究的过程和研究的内容 ,重点阐述了 90年代开展的冻土研究的研究成果 ,从冻土工程地质、路基下冻土温度场、冻土环境的影响、冻土工程分类、地理信息系统 5个侧面 ,来反映近年来在青藏公路研究中所取得的研究成果 ,这些成果为青藏铁路建设中重大冻土工程技术问题和工程设计提供了解决问题的科学依据     

Late Pliocene to late Pleistocene environments preserved at the Palisades Site, central Yukon River, Alaska

The Palisades Site is an extensive silt-loam bluff complex on the central Yukon River preserving a nearly continuous record of the last 2 myr. Volcanic ash deposits present include the Old Crow (OCt; 140,000 yr), Sheep Creek (SCt; 190,000 yr), PA (2.02 myr), EC (ca. 2 myr), and Mining Camp (ca. 2 myr) tephras. Two new tephras, PAL and PAU, are geochemically similar to the PA and EC tephras and appear to be comagmatic. The PA tephra occurs in ice-wedge casts and solifluction deposits, marking the oldest occurrence of permafrost in central Alaska. Three buried forest horizons are present in association with dated tephras. The uppermost forest bed occurs immediately above the OCt; the middle forest horizon occurs below the SCt. The lowest forest bed occurs between the EC and the PA tephras, and correlates with the Dawson Cut Forest Bed. Plant taxa in all three peats are common elements of moist taiga forest found in lowlands of central Alaska today. Large mammal fossils are all from common late Pleistocene taxa. Those recovered in situ came from a single horizon radiocarbon dated to ca. 27,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. The incongruous small mammal assemblage in that horizon reflects a diverse landscape with both wet and mesic environments.     

长江黄河源区多年冻土变化及其生态环境效应

应用江河源区五站1980-1998年0cm、5cm、10cm、15cm、20cm、40cm浅层地温资料、钻孔深层地温资料以及勘探资料,详细分析了两大源区的冻土变化,结果表明:近20年来,受气候变暖影响,江河源区多年冻土总体上保存条件不利,区域上呈退化趋势。岛状多年冻土和季节冻土区年均地温升高约0 3～0 7℃,大片连续多年冻土区升幅较小,为0 1～0 4℃。多年冻土上限以2～10cm/a的速度加深。在黄河源多年冻土的边缘地带,垂向上形成不衔接冻土和融化夹层,多年冻土分布下界上升50～70m。冻土退化已对江河源寒区经济和生态环境产生了一系列重要影响。但是,冻土退缩及其对环境的影响还存在很大的不确定性。     

Migrating pingos in the permafrost region of the Tibetan Plateau, China and their hazard along the Golmud–Lhasa railway

Most pingos in the permafrost region of the high northern Tibetan Plateau form along active fault zones and many change position annually along the zones and thus appear to migrate. The fault zones conduct geothermal heat, which thins permafrost, and control cool to hot springs in the region. They maintain ground-water circulation through broken rock in an open system to supply water for pingo growth during the winter in overlying fluvial and lacustrian deposits. Springs remain after the pingos thaw in the summer. Fault movement, earthquakes and man's activities cause the water pathways supplying pingos to shift and consequently the pingos migrate.

The hazard posed to the new Golmud–Lhasa railway across the plateau by migrating pingos is restricted to active fault zones, but is serious, as these zones are common and generate large earthquakes. Pingos have damaged the highway and the oil pipeline adjacent to the railway since 2001. One caused tilting and breaking of a bridge pier and destroyed a highway bridge across the Chumaerhe fault. Another has already caused minor damage to a new railway bridge. Furthermore, the construction of a bridge pier in the North Wuli fault zone in July–August 2003 created a conduit for a new spring, which created a pingo during the following winter. Measures taken to drain the ground-water via a tunnel worked well and prevented damage before the railway tracks were laid. However, pier vibrations from subsequent train motion disrupted the drain and led to new springs, which may induce further pingo growth beneath the bridge.

The migrating pingos result from active fault movement promoting artesian ground-water circulation and changing water pathways under the seasonal temperature variations in the permafrost region. They pose a serious hazard to railway construction, which, in turn can further disturb the ground-water conduits and affect pingo migration.