Highway Roadway Stability Influenced by Warm Permafrost and Seasonal Frost Action: A Case Study from Glennallen, Alaska, USA

Ground temperatures from four of the seven extensively studied highway cross-sections near Gulkana/Glennallen,Alaska during 1954~1962,were chosen to better understand the impacts of highway construction on warm permafrost.Both the thawing of permafrost and seasonal frost action impacted on road surface stability for about 6 years until the maximum summer thaw reached about 3 m in depth.Seasonal frost action caused most of the ensuing stability problems.Unusually warm summers and the lengths of time required to re-freeze the active layer were far more important than the average annual air temperatures in determining the temperatures of the underlying shallow permafrost,or the development of taliks.The hypothesized climate warming would slightly and gradually deepen the active layer and the developed under-lying talik,but its effect would be obscured by unusually warm summers,by warmer than usual winters,and by the vari-able lengths of time of the zero curtains.At least one period of climate mini-cooling in the deeper permafrost during the early 20th century was noted.     

The Seasonal Climate and Low Frequency Oscillation in the Simulated Mid-Holocene Megathermal Climate

l.IntroductionThegoalofPMIP(PaleoclimateModellingIntercomparisonProject)istocomparethestate-ofthe-artclimatemodels'simulationsforthepastclimateonthebasisofthepaleoclimatedata.Oneofthemostinterestingperiodsisthemid-Holoceneduring8.5-3.OkaBPwiththemaximumin7.2-6.OkaBP(beforepresent)inChina(Shietal.,l992).Itwasre-vealedthatthetemPeraturewasl-4'Chigherandtheprecipitationwas4O%-loO%largercomparedtothepresentoverChina(Shietal.,l992;Anetal..l99l;Kongetal.,l99O,l99l).Therehavebeensomesimula…     

Permafrost and climatic change in China

The permafrost area in China is about 2.15×10⁶ km², and is generally characterized by altitudinal permafrost. Permafrost in China can be divided into latitudinal and altitudinal types, the latter can be further divided into plateau and alpine permafrost. Altitudinal permafrost also can be divided into five thermal stability types. The permafrost environment has changed significantly since the Late Pleistocene. In northeastern China, the southern limit of permafrost extended to 41–42°N during the last glaciation maximum; in the Holocene megathermal, it retreated northward. The ice wedges and permafrost formed during the Late Pleistocene are still present in the northern part of the Da-Xing'anling Mountains. The inactive ice wedges at Yitulihe indicate a cooling and subsequent permafrost expansion during the Late Pleistocene. The lower limit of altitudinal permafrost in western China has elevated from 800 to 1500 m since the last glaciation maximum. Compared with that in northern Europe and North America, latitudinal permafrost in northeastern China is less sensitive to climatic warming, but altitudinal permafrost, especially permafrost on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), is sensitive to climatic warming. Since the early 20th century, significant permafrost degradation has occurred and is occurring in most permafrost regions in China. Due to the combined influence of climatic warming and increasing anthropogenic activities, substantial retreat of permafrost is expected on the QTP and in northeastern China during the 21st century. Permafrost degradation has and will cast great influence on engineering construction, water resources and environments in the cold regions of China. The wetlands in the cold regions of China emit significant amounts of CH₄ and N₂O to the atmosphere and uptake atmospheric CO₂ at a considerable rate, which might contribute to the global atmospheric carbon budget and feedback to climatic systems. However, uncertainties about permafrost changes, rates of changes and their environmental impacts are still large and call for intensive studying.     

大兴安岭北部霍拉盆地多年冻土及寒区环境研究的最新进展

霍拉盆地位于我国高纬度大片连续多年冻土区的北缘. 盆地内的冻土具有自中心向边缘厚度变薄、温度升高, 至四周山地出现融区等特征, 同时又受局地因素如地形地貌、地表覆被、地下水赋存规律及地质构造等影响, 冻土分布、厚度及温度的空间格局在遵从普遍规律的基础上又具有差异性. 近年来, 随着全球气候变暖及人为活动的逐步增强, 盆地内冻土及寒区环境变化显著, 对矿区转型至关重要的核心景观月牙湖几近干涸. 2013年6月、2014年5-7月先后2次对霍拉盆地多年冻土及寒区环境变化进行科学考察并展开初步研究. 在盆地内根据不同地貌、地表覆被及人为活动强度布设8个地温观测孔并将进行长期观测, 以期分析研究人为活动、植被等局地因子对冻土的影响及未来冻土与寒区环境变化; 同时, 对干涸的月牙湖底地形、地貌进行了调查并采集湖相沉积物样品, 以确定月牙湖的成因并进一步分析湖区气候及环境变迁; 对月牙湖畔湖心岛地下冰再次进行勘察, 发现厚层地下冰正在逐渐融化; 此外, 盆地内广泛发育的热喀斯特现象亦表明该区域冻土正在退化.     

青藏高原土壤碳排放研究进展

青藏高原土壤碳排放研究是评估国家区域碳排放量和预测气候变化所可能导致影响的关键. 首先对青藏高原土壤碳排放的关键性影响因子进行探讨, 并分析了土壤碳排放的时空分布格局变化. 目前青藏高原土壤碳排放研究主要是针对高寒草甸及高寒草地生态系统, 较少涉及高寒荒漠, 研究区域较为分散; 土壤碳排放受到气候环境因素、生物因素及人为因素等多重因素的影响, 其中温度、土壤湿度、土壤区系生物、人为因素及多年冻土退化是最关键的影响因素; 土壤碳排放具有明显的时空变异性, 空间变异性在生物群丛、景观、区域和生物群系四个尺度体现, 时间变异性在日、季、年上体现. 总体而言, 青藏高原土壤碳排放的研究较少, 尤其关于大尺度、长时间序列的研究以及土壤碳排放的机理等方面的研究十分缺乏, 有待于后续加强研究.     

嫩江黑河构造带收缩与伸展——源自晚古生代花岗岩类的地球化学证据

黑龙江省嫩江至黑河一带发育大量的晚古生代花岗岩类岩石,同位素测年结果显示主要集中在3个时代:早石炭世、晚石炭世和早二叠世。岩石类型从花岗闪长岩-二长花岗岩-正长花岗岩-碱长花岗岩等均有不同出露,石炭纪部分岩石遭受韧性剪切变质变形作用改造形成花岗质糜棱岩。岩石整体具有高硅、富钾钠特征;稀土元素总量偏高,铕负异常明显;微量元素具明显的大离子亲石元素(LILE)K、Rb、Th富集和高场强元素(HFSE)Nb、P、Ti亏损特征。其中石炭纪花岗岩类地球化学特征显示陆缘弧及同碰撞花岗岩特点,二叠纪花岗岩则表现后造山花岗岩特点。二者反映了由碰撞造山向板内后造山阶段转变的构造环境特点,也反映了嫩江-黑河构造带汇聚拼合与伸展的活动史。     

黄河源区高寒植被主要特征初探

位于青藏高原东北部多年冻土与季节冻土交错带的黄河源区高寒生态环境及其变化一直备受关注. 气候变暖、冻土退化条件下,为了解黄河源区不同冻土区植被状况,在源区布设了4个场地：查拉坪（CLP,源区南部连续低温多年冻土区）;扎陵湖南岸（ZLH,源区中南部岛状多年冻土区）;麻多乡（MDX,源区西部的不连续多年冻土区）;鄂陵湖北岸（ELH,源区中北部季节冻土区）. 结合植被调查和场地监测,分析了源区各冻土区植被的差异. 结果显示：总体上低温多年冻土区植被盖度、多样性指数高,表现为连续多年冻土区（查拉坪）>不连续多年冻土区（麻多乡）>季节冻土区（鄂陵湖北岸）,其中岛状多年冻土区（扎陵湖南岸）例外,该场地平均盖度最低,多样性指数介于查拉坪和麻多乡之间,局部植被退化较严重. 均匀度指数均表现为扎陵湖南岸最高,查拉坪次之. 地上生物量调查结果显示：查拉坪>麻多乡>扎陵湖南岸>鄂陵湖北岸,且鄂陵湖北岸出现指示植被退化的植物. 尽管黄河源区高寒植被研究为理解冻土退化条件下的生态环境变化提供了一些基础数据,评估气候变化和冻土退化的生态和水文效应需要更系统的调查和监测研究.     

城市绿地系统结构与功能研究综述

在分析城绿地系统概念和内涵的基础上,对国内外城市绿地系统结构和功能研究进行综述。主要阐述了城市绿地系统结构的两种外在表现形式,即“点、线、面”布局结构和“斑块、廊道、基底”景观结构。综述了城市绿地系统结构对功能的影响、主要进展及其应用,并提出未来城市绿地系统研究和绿地规划的主要方向,以期对中国未来城市绿地系统规划有所启示。     

寒区输油管道基于应变设计的极限状态研究

寒区输油管线沿线地质环境复杂,滑坡、冻胀、融沉等自然灾害会导致管道形成大差异变形量.而差异变形量所引起的应力应变行为直接影响管道的安全服役性能,严重时会使管道破坏失效.基于寒区输油管道在实际服役工况下的受力变形条件,充分考虑冻胀效应、油压效应和热应力效应对输油管道的影响,分析了不同长度、壁厚、油压条件下轴向拉伸应变的分布规律及其影响因素.基于轴向应变设计理论准则,建立了上述条件下输油管道的极限服役状态,得到了对应状态下输油管道的许应最大极限冻胀变形量.结果分析表明,采用基于应力的设计准则偏保守,采用基于轴向应变的设计准则能更多的利用管材的变形性能.可为管道的合理设计、安全评价、完整性管理提供一定的理论参考.     

青藏高原中、东部全新世以来多年冻土 演化及寒区环境变化*

古冻土存在的依据和判别标志主要是古冻土遗迹(深埋藏多年冻土层、古冻土上限、融化夹层、厚层地下冰)和古冰缘现象(古冻胀丘、古融冻褶皱、砂楔、土楔、冰楔假型、风成沙丘、黄土层、厚层泥炭和腐殖质层等)。文章结合大量的测年数据,利用古代和现代冻土以及冰缘现象的时空分布差异综合分析对比,将全新世以来青藏高原多年冻土演化过程和环境变化划分为6个较明显的时段:早全新世的气候剧变期(10800aB.P.至8500~7000aB.P.)、中全新世大暖期(8500~7000aB.P.至4000~3000aB.P.)、晚全新世寒冷期(4000~3000aB.P.至1000aB.P.)、晚全新世温暖期(1000aB.P.至500aB.P.)、全新世末小冰期(500aB.P.至100aB.P.)及近代升温期(100aB.P.至今);同时,概述了各时段高原冻土的发育条件、分布范围及总面积,和当时高原上的古气候、古地理环境。