Characteristics and changes of permafrost along the engineering corridor of National Highway 214 in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Due to a series of linear projects built along National Highway 214, the second "Permafrost Engineering Corridor" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has formed. In this paper, by overcoming the problems of data decentralization and standard inconsistency, permafrost characteristics and changes along the engineering corridor are systematically summarized based on the survey and monitoring data. The results show that: 1) Being controlled by elevation, the permafrost is distributed in flake discontinuity with mountains as the center along the line. The total length of the road section in permafrost regions is 365 km, of which the total length of the permafrost section of National Highway 214 is 216.7 km, and the total length of the permafrost section of Gong-Yu Expressway is 197.3 km. The mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) is higher than -1.5 °C, and permafrost with MAGT lower than -1.5 °C is only distributed in the sections at Bayan Har Mountain and E'la Mountain. There are obvious differences in the distribution of ground ice in the different sections along the engineering corridor. The sections with high ice content are mainly located in Zuimatan, Duogerong Plain and the top of north and south slope of Bayan Har Mountain. The permafrost thickness is controlled by the ground temperature, and permafrost thickness increases with the decrease of the ground temperature, with the change rate of about 37 m/°C. 2) Local factors (topography, landform, vegetation and lithology) affect the degradation process of permafrost, and then affect the distribution, ground temperature, thickness and ice content of permafrost. Asphalt pavement has greatly changed the heat exchange balance of the original ground, resulting in serious degradation of the permafrost. Due to the influence of roadbed direction trend, the phenomenon of shady-sunny slope is very significant in most sections along the line. The warming range of permafrost under the roadbed is gradually smaller with the increase of depth, so the thawing settlement of the shallow section with high ice-content permafrost is more significant.     

基于MODIS温度的青藏高原多年冻土活动层厚度变化研究

基于MODIS温度数据,采用TTOP模型和Stefan公式模拟了青藏高原地区的冻土分布并计算了活动层厚度,并与地面观测结果进行了对比。结果表明：2003—2019年青藏高原多年冻土面积为1.01×10⁶ km²;多年冻土活动层厚度区域平均值为1.79 m, 活动层厚度区域平均的变化率为3.67 cm/10a,且草甸地区的变化率明显大于草原地区,5100~5300 m高程带的活动层厚度变化速率最大。     

Ground temperature variation and its response to climate change on the northern Tibetan Plateau

Ground temperature plays a significant role in the interaction between the land surface and atmosphere on the Tibetan Plateau(TP). Under the background of temperature warming, the TP has witnessed an accelerated warming trend in frozen ground temperature, an increasing active layer thickness, and the melting of underground ice. Based on high-resolution ground temperature data observed from 1997 to 2012 on the northern TP, the trend of ground temperature at each observation site and its response to climate change were analyzed. The results showed that while the ground temperature at different soil depths showed a strong warming trend over the observation period, the warming in winter is more significant than that in summer. The warming rate of daily minimum ground temperature was greater than that of daily maximum ground temperature at the TTH and MS3608 sites. During the study period, thawing occurred earlier, whereas freezing happened later, resulting in shortened freezing season and a thinner frozen layer at the BJ site. And a zero-curtain effect develops when the soil begins to thaw or freeze in spring and autumn. From 1997 to 2012, the average summer air temperature and precipitation in summer and winter from six meteorological stations along the Qinghai-Tibet highway also demonstrated an increasing trend, with a more significant temperature increase in winter than in summer. The ground temperature showed an obvious response to air temperature warming, but the trend varied significantly with soil depths due to soil heterogeneity.     

The changing process and trend of ground temperature around tower foundations of Qinghai-Tibet Power Transmission line

After the construction of Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Railway, the Qinghai-Tibet Power Transmission(QTPT) line is another major permafrost engineering project with new types of engineering structures. The changing process and trend of ground temperature around tower foundations are crucial for the stability of QTPT. We analyzed the change characteristics and tendencies of the ground temperature based on field monitoring data from 2010 to 2014. The results reveal that soil around the tower foundations froze and connected with the artificial permafrost induced during the construction of footings after the first freezing period, and the soil below the original permafrost table kept freezing in subsequent thawing periods. The ground temperature lowered to that of natural fields, fast or slowly for tower foundations with thermosyphons,while for tower foundations without thermosyphons, the increase in ground temperature resulted in higher temperature than that of natural fields. Also, the permafrost temperature and ice content are significant factors that influence the ground temperature around tower foundations. Specifically, the ground temperature around tower foundations in warm and ice-rich permafrost regions decreased slowly, while that in cold and ice poor permafrost regions cooled faster. Moreover, foundations types impacted the ground temperature, which consisted of different technical processes during construction and variant of tower footing structures. The revealed changing process and trend of the ground temperature is beneficial for evaluating the thermal regime evolution around tower foundations in the context of climate change.     

Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Evapotranspiration and Its Influencing Factors on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 1982 to 2014

Evapotranspiration is the key driving factor of the earth’s water cycle, and an important component of surface water and energy balances. Therefore, it also reflects the geothermal regulation function of ecohydrological process. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the birthplace of important rivers such as the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. The regional water balance is of great significance to regional ecological security. In this study, ARTS, a dual- source remote sensing evapotranspiration model developed on a global scale, is used to evaluate the actual evapotranspiration (ET) in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 1982 to 2014, using meteorological data interpolated from observations, as well as FPAR and LAI data obtained by satellite remote sensing. The characteristics of seasonal. interannual and dynamic changes of evapotranspiration were analyzed. The rates at which meteorological factors contribute to evapotranspiration are calculated by sensitivity analysis and multiple linear regression analysis, and the dominant factors affecting the change of evapotranspiration in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are discussed. The results show that: (1) The estimated values can explain more than 80% of the seasonal variation of the observed values (R² = 0.80, P < 0.001), which indicates that the model has a high accuracy. (2) The evapotranspiration in the whole year, spring, summer and autumn show significant increasing trends in the past 30 years, but have significant regional differences. Whether in the whole year or in summer, the southern Tibetan Valley shows a significant decreasing trend (more than 20 mm per 10 years), while the Ali, Lhasa Valley and Haibei areas show increasing trends (more than 10 mm per 10 years). (3) Sensitivity analysis and multiple linear regression analysis show that the main factor driving the interannual change trend is climate warming, followed by the non-significant increase of precipitation. However, vegetation change also has a considerable impact, and together with climate factors, it can explain 56% of the interannual variation of evapotranspiration (multiple linear regression equation R² = 0.56, P < 0.001). The mean annual evapotranspiration of low-cover grassland was 26.9% of high-cover grassland and 21.1% of medium-cover grassland, respectively. Considering significant warming and insignificant wetting in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the increase of surface evapotranspiration will threaten the regional ecological security at the cost of glacial melting water. Effectively protecting the ecological security and maintaining the sustainable development of regional society are difficult and huge challenges.     

Hydrological effects of alpine permafrost in the headwaters of the Urumqi River, Tianshan Mountains

Against the background of climate change, alpine permafrost active layers have shown a gradual thickening trend and the hydrothermal conditions have undergone significant changes in the Tianshan Mountains and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. At the ice-free cirque basins in the headwaters of the Urumqi River(hereafter referred to as the Ice-Free Cirque) in eastern Tianshan, China, the hydrological effects of the alpine permafrost active layers appear to have also exhibited significant changes recently. The increasing trend of local precipitation is clear in May and June. The onset of winter and spring snowmelt runoff clearly lags behind increases of air temperature, and the runoff peak appears near the beginning of the melting season, which results in the spring runoff increasing. In summer, runoff decreases strongly and the maximum runoff occurs earlier. In our analysis of meteorological and hydrologic data from 1959 to 2010, the runoff and precipitation changes are significantly correlated. In the initial stage of runoff, the runoff-producing process is mainly under the control of the soil water content and soil temperature in the 0–30 cm active layers. Spring precipitation and snowmelt water are mainly involved in the processes of infiltration and evaporation while some melt water infiltrates into the seasonal thawed layer and stays above the frozen layers. During the strong ablation period in summer, the runoff-generating process is mainly controlled by soil water content in the active layers deeper than 60 cm. In the active layer, precipitation and seasonal snowmelt water infiltrates, migrates, collects, and then forms runoff.     

Assessment of geomorphic hazards in connection with permafrost occurrence in the Zugspitze area (Bavarian Alps, Germany)

In the Zugspitze area (Bavarian Alps, Germany), permafrost conditions are present in limestone bedrock and in regolith. Distribution is strongly dependent on topography in the east–west oriented mountain crest with steep north- and south-facing slopes. Numerous structures mainly for tourist purposes (cable car and recreation buildings, ski-lift masts, rack-railway tunnel, tunnel with supply facilities) are situated in the area, and several of them are placed on ground with permafrost. Results from a temperature measurement programme and distribution modelling show that for some of these constructions, the effects of permafrost degradation have to be considered in terms of stability of the foundations.The permafrost limit is close to the summit crest, and therefore, stability evaluations for the constructions in this area have to bear in mind the possible warming or even melting of ice within the bedrock crevasses caused by climate warming. Stability of the foundations as well as stability of rock walls in this area will probably be affected by a shifting of the permafrost limit. Constructions in the Zugspitzplatt area are already affected by the melting ground ice, and stabilizing measures have to be evaluated for several foundations where subsidence is likely to occur.Besides the local results, the study provides for the first time data on permafrost distribution in the northern Alpine margin based on standard methods of BTS measurements and numerical modelling.     

基于遥感监测的秦岭南北积雪日数时空变化及影响因素

以海拔依赖型变暖为理论基础,研究山地积雪对气候变暖的响应机制,是当前气候变化研究的热点问题。基于2000—2019年MODIS积雪物候数据,对秦岭南北积雪日数时空变化进行分析,探讨了秋冬两季厄尔尼诺指数（NINO）、青藏高原气压对积雪异常的影响。结果表明：(1) 2013年后秦岭南北气候由“变暖停滞”转为“增温回升”,积雪日数随之呈现转折下降,积雪日数≥10 d栅格占比由前期的35.1%下降为8.6%。(2)在垂直地带规律上,秦岭山地以1950～2000 m为临界点,大巴山区以1600～1650 m为临界点,低海拔地区积雪日数随海拔增加速率要低于高海拔地区。2100～3150 m海拔带是积雪日数的垂直变化的关键带;(3)在影响因素上,NINO C区、NINO Z区秋冬海温和青藏高原冬季高压,是秦岭山地、汉江谷地和大巴山区积雪异常的有效指示信号。当赤道太平洋中部秋冬海温偏低,且青藏高原冬季高压偏低时,上述3个子区积雪日数异常偏多。(4)在环流机制方面,相对于积雪日数偏少年,秦岭南北积雪日数偏多年1—2月0℃等温线位置偏南,低温环境为增加冰雪物质积累、延缓冰雪消融提供了气温条件;1月区域存...     

近30年来青藏高原西大滩多年冻土变化

结合1975年已有勘探资料,对青藏高原多年冻土北界西大滩进行了雷达勘探。勘探发现,近30年来青藏高原多年冻土北界发生较大规模的多年冻土退化,多年冻土面积从1975年的160.5 km²退化成现在的141.0 km²,缩小约12%;开始出现多年冻土的最低高程为4 385 m,比1975年升高了25 m。近30年来研究区的气候变化是造成北界多年冻土退化的主要原因。相同气候背景下,多年冻土腹部地温有升高,但在30年尺度上不会发生明显的退化。本次冻土区域调查的结果可为检验冻土－气候关系模型的可靠与否提供依据。     

试论青藏高原多年冻土类型的划分

本文采用综合分析与主导因素相结合的原则，以干燥度作为主要指标并参考年降水量，年平均相对湿度及气温较差等，结合地形因素将青藏庙的多年冻土划分为：湿润，亚湿润，半干旱，干旱和极干旱５种类型，并对各类型代表性和冻土地区进行分别论述。     

Past and present permafrost as an indicator of climate change

The permafrost history of the high northern latitudes over the last two million years indicates that perennially frozen ground formed and thawed repeatedly, probably in close synchronicity with the climate changes that led to the expansion and subsequent shrinkage of continental ice sheets. The early stages of the Pleistocene are the least known and the changes that occurred in the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene are the best known.
Evidence that permafrost is degrading in response to the current global warming trend is difficult to ascertain. The clearest signals are probably provided by changes in permafrost distribution in the sub-Arctic regions. at the extreme southern fringes of the discontinuous permafrost zone.     

青藏高原腹地多年冻土区地表反照率的季节变化及主要影响因子

准确获取青藏高原地表反照率的季节变化特征对高原地表能水循环研究具有重要意义。本文利用青藏高原多年冻土区西大滩和唐古拉2007年的气象及辐射数据,运用相关分析方法研究了太阳高度角、积雪及活动层冻融过程对地表反照率变化的影响。结果显示:冷暖季降雪过程中地表反照率的变化差异较明显;地表无积雪覆盖期间,地表反照率与气温和表层土壤含水量呈反相关关系。利用多元回归分析法构建了以积雪日数和气温为影响因子的月均地表反照率计算回归方程,经检验与观测值对比平均相对误差为7.1%,可用于青藏高原北部地表反照率的估算。     

Analysis about the influence on the thermal regime in permafrost regions with different underlying surfaces

In the last several decades, the underlying surface conditions on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have changed dramatically, causing permafrost degradation due to climate change and human activities. This change severely influenced the cold regions environment and engineering infrastructure built above permafrost. Permafrost is a product of the interaction between the atmosphere and the ground. The formation and change of permafrost are determined by the energy exchange between earth and atmosphere system. Fieldwork was performed in order to learn how land surface change influenced the thermal regime in permafrost regions. In this article, the field data observed in the Fenghuo Mountain regions was used to analyze the thermal conditions under different underlying surfaces on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Results show that underlying surface change may alter the primary energy balance and the thermal conditions of permafrost. The thermal flux in the permafrost regions is also changed, resulting in rising upper soil temperature and thickening active layer. Vegetation could prevent solar radiation from entering the ground, cooling the ground in the warm season. Also, vegetation has heat insulation and heat preservation functions related to the ground surface and may keep the permafrost stable. Plots covered with black plastic film have higher temperatures compared with plots covered by natural vegetation. The reason is that black plastic film has a low albedo, which could increase the absorbed solar radiation, and also decrease evapotranspiration. The ＂greenhouse effect＂ of transparent plastic film might effectively reduce the emission of long-wave radiation from the surface, decreasing heat loss from the earth＇s surface, and prominently increasing ground surface temperature.     

青藏高原风沙堆积对多年冻土影响研究进展

受全球气候变化和人类活动影响,青藏高原上的土地沙漠化正呈现加速发展态势。沙漠化产生的风沙堆积势必改变地表辐射和能量平衡状况,对较为敏感和脆弱的多年冻土环境造成影响,并可能影响青藏铁路路基的稳定性。因此,研究积沙对多年冻土的影响对于高原沙害防治、多年冻土保护和道路工程建设都具有重要的理论及现实意义。目前,前人已在青藏高原地表能量平衡研究方面取得了一些成果,并开始关注积沙对冻土温度影响问题。然而,由于已有观测资料的连续性、同步性和可比性等局限,对积沙地表辐射和能量平衡方面的研究还比较薄弱,积沙对冻土温度过程影响的研究结果尚不一致,而积沙对路基影响的问题也亟待开展研究。为此,本文提出了加强定位观测、开展室内低温实验以及数值模拟等建议,以期对今后的深入研究起到抛砖引玉作用。     

2000-2013年西藏纳木错湖冰变化及其影响因素

湖冰物候事件是气候变化的敏感指示器。本文以西藏纳木错湖为研究对象,基于MODIS多光谱反射率产品数据监测了2000-2013年纳木错湖冰冻融日期,并结合多个气象站点的气象数据和实测湖面温度、湖面辐射亮温分析验证了湖冰变化的原因。纳木错湖冰变化较好地响应了区域气候变暖：开始冻结日期延迟和完全消融日期提前使湖冰存在期显著缩短(2.8 d/a)、湖冰冻结期增长、湖冰消融期缩短,其中消融期变化最为明显,平均每年缩短3.1 d。湖冰冻融日期的变化表明：2000年后纳木错湖冰冻结困难,消融加速,稳定性减弱。纳木错湖冰变化主要受湖面温度、湖面辐射亮温和气温变化的影响,它们可以作为气象因子来解释区域气候变化。     

RESPONSE OF THE CANADIAN PERMAFROST ENVIRONMENT TO CLIMATIC CHANGE

Human-induced climatic warming will have major impacts on permafrost, which presently underlies half of Canada's land mass. The adaptation of the northern environment and its physical processes to the altered climate may be contemporaneous or may lag behind climatic change. The extent of permafrost will diminish, accompanied by modifications of the land surface through thermokarst or mass wasting. Streamflow regimes, sediment transport, coastal flooding and erosion will be affected. The magnitude of most components of the water balance will be altered. More research is needed to understand how the permafrost environment behaves during the transient phase, and the problem of permafrost adaptation should be addressed holistically. [Key words: climatic change, frozen ground, ground ice, hydrology, permafrost, periglacial geomorphology, water balance.]     

Research progress in cold region wetlands, China

China has some of the most abundant wetland resources in the world. Cold region wetlands cover more than 60% of the total natural wetlands in China and play an indispensable role in global climate regulation, water holding, uptake and emission of greenhouse gases, and biodiversity conservation. Because cold region wetlands are sensitive to climatic and environmental changes, it is important for ecological conservation and environmental management to summarize and analyze current research progress on these specific ecosystems. This paper reviews the focus of present studies on the typical cold region wetlands in the northeast region and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China from several aspects as follows: types and distribution, responses of permafrost to climatic changes, uptake and emission of greenhouse gas, eco-hydrological processes, and vegetation succession. Our conclusions are: global warming has a long-term and serious impact on cold region permafrost; emission of greenhouse gases has great temporal and spatial heterogeneity; and hygrophytes in the cold region wetlands have been generally replaced by xerophytes, although it is still unclear whether the vegetation diversity index has increased or decreased. Based on this review, some key topics for future study are recommended as follows: (1) the response of degeneration of cold region permafrost at various spatial and temporal scales; (2) prediction of wetland degeneration tendency by coupling weather, soil, and hydrological models; (3) evaluation of carbon storage; (4) the actual response mechanisms of greenhouse gases to climatic changes; and (5) development of water requirement calculation methods tailored to the unique ecosystems of cold region wetlands.     

Changes in the global cryosphere and their impacts: A review and new perspective

As one of the five components of Earth's climatic system, the cryosphere has been undergoing rapid shrinking due to global warming. Studies on the formation, evolution, distribution and dynamics of cryospheric components and their interactions with the human system are of increasing importance to society. In recent decades, the mass loss of glaciers, including the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, has accelerated. The extent of sea ice and snow cover has been shrinking, and permafrost has been degrading. The main sustainable development goals in cryospheric regions have been impacted. The shrinking of the cryosphere results in sea-level rise, which is currently affecting, or is soon expected to affect, 17 coastal megacities and some small island countries. In East Asia, South Asia and North America, climate anomalies are closely related to the extent of Arctic sea ice and snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere. Increasing freshwater melting from the ice sheets and sea ice may be one reason for the slowdown in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation in the Arctic and Southern Oceans. The foundations of ports and infrastructure in the circum-Arctic permafrost regions suffer from the consequences of permafrost degradation. In high plateaus and mountainous regions, the cryosphere's shrinking has led to fluctuations in river runoff, caused water shortages and increased flooding risks in certain areas. These changes in cryospheric components have shown significant heterogeneity at different temporal and spatial scales. Our results suggest that the quantitative evaluation of future changes in the cryosphere still needs to be improved by enhancing existing observations and model simulations. Theoretical and methodological innovations are required to strengthen social economies' resilience to the impact of cryospheric change.     

高寒草甸草地退化对土壤水热性质的影响及其环境效应

青藏高原高寒草甸草地的大面积退化,将改变浅层土壤的水热性质,影响地表水热交换,甚至导致区域生态环境的变化。本文通过系统分析典型原生高寒草甸与中度退化高寒草甸的植物群落特征、地上地下生物量和土壤理化特征的差异,研究高寒草甸草地退化对土壤水热性质的影响及其环境效应。结果表明:随着高寒草甸草地退化,植被覆盖度显著降低(p<0.01),适应旱生、深根系的杂草侵入适应湿润生境、浅根系的以莎草科植物为主的原生植被,生物多样性显著增加(p<0.01);草毡表层(0～10 cm)地下生物量显著减少(p<0.01),30～50 cm地下生物量显著增加(p<0.01)。草毡表层变薄降低了土壤容重的垂向异质性,使表层土壤容重显著增加(p<0.01),土壤颗粒显著变粗(p<0.01)。受浅层土壤有机质降低和土壤容重增加的影响,中度退化高寒草甸土壤的持水量和饱和导水率降低,土壤导热率升高。高寒草甸草地植被退化,土壤持水量、饱和导水率降低和导热率增加将加速地表水热交换,对高寒草甸草地退化和下伏多年冻土消融都可能是正反馈。     

Effect of climate change and railway embankment on the degradation of underlain permafrost

Because of the global warming and the increasing human activity, the air temperature and the precipitation along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway increased gradually in recent years, which endanger the permafrost table, the embankment of the railway. The statistics of the air temperature, the precipitation and the geothermal temperature in recent 50 years in this dissertation come from the four weather station along the railway, that are Wudaoliang Station, Fenghuo Mountains Station, Tuotuo River Station and Ando Station. This dissertation analyzes the change of climate along the railway and then develops a research on the effect of the changing geothermal temperature on permafrost table and its countermeasures. The experiment result shows that the air temperature of the permafrost region rise steadily in about 50 years, especially in this century, the tendency of rising temperature is more obvious. The precipitation fluctuates but it is also rising rapidly, for the largest precipitation reached 492.6 mm. For 30 years now, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been in the megathermal period, which also affects the permafrost region along the railway. The condition of permafrost is degrading greatly.