Earth’s Cryosphere, 2010, Vol. XIV, No. 1, p. 22-31

CHANGES OF PERMAFROST TEMPERATURE FIELD AND GEOSYSTEM STATE ON THE URENGOY OIL-GAS-FIELD TERRITORY DURING THE LAST 35 YEARS (1974–2008)

D.S. Drozdov, N.G. Ukraintseva, A.M. Tsarev, S.N. Chekrygina*

Earth Cryosphere Institute, SB RAS, 625000, Tyumen, P/O box 1230, Russia, ds_drozdov@mail.ru
* VSEGINGEO, 142452, Moscow region, Zelyonyi settlement, Russia

The results of the long-term regime observations of the permafrost temperature and state of geosystem on the Urengoy oil-gas-field territory are presented. The observations were conducted at key-sites equipped in 1974 in the landscape sub-zones of the southern forest-tundra and southern tundra. The positive temperature trend during the period of 1974–2008 has been generally confirmed everywhere; however the temperature increase was uneven both in time and in space. The cycles of warming-cooling have been revealed. In southern foresttundra, the descending of the permafrost table has been widely observed. The permafrost dynamic maps of the research territory have been created using the geo-information technologies. The 30–40 km advance of the boundary of the scattered trees to the north is one of the obvious landscape indicators of climate warming.

Key words: Permafrost temperature, landscape, geosystem, geocryological monitoring, climate change.

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