Earth’s Cryosphere, 2011, Vol. XV, No. 3, p. 31-42

THE DYNAMICS OF THERMOKARST LAKES UNDER CLIMATE CHANGES SINCE 1950, CENTRAL YAKUTIA

V.I. Kravtsova, T.V. Tarasenko

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Geography, 119991, Moscow, Leninskie Gory, Russia, valentinamsu@yandex.ru, manunya_geo@mail.ru

The analysis of the dynamics of thermokarst lakes in Central Yakutia has been fulfilled since 1950, during the period of air temperature increase. The research has been carried out for two test sites (between the rivers Vilyui and Tyukyan and on the right bank of the Lena River in its middle part) using aerial photographs of 1950ies, multitemporal satellite images of 1970–1980ies and 2000ies and data of meteorological observations. Seasonal, interannual and long-term changes of areas of thermokarst lakes have been analyzed. The influence of human activity and forest fires on the thermokarst state in Central Yakutia have been considered.

Key words: Satellite images, thermokarst lakes, dynamics, global warming, fluctuations of precipitation.

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