Earth’s Cryosphere, 2020, vol. XXIV, No. 3, pp. 16-21
10.21782/EC2541-9994-2020-3(16-21)

ALTITUDINAL GEOTEMPERATURE ZONATION IN CENTRAL ALTAI

M.N. Zheleznyak, M.M. Shatz, S.I. Serikov, R.G. Sysoliatin, Yu.B. Skachkov, V.I. Zhizhin

Melnikov Permafrost Institute, SB RAS, 36, Merzlotnaya str., Yakutsk, 677010, Russia;
fe@mpi.ysn.ru, mmshatz@mail.ru, grampus@mpi.ysn.ru

By the example of the Altai-Sayan mountain region, the role of topography in spatial heterogeneity of permafrost is traced based on the results of multi-year permafrost studies. It has been demonstrated that conditions of heat and water exchange of ground with the external environment within the Altai-Sayan mountain region change according to the altitudinal zonation, i.e. the consistent alternation of altitudinal belts of seasonally frozen ground and permafrost of intermediate, extensive and continuous distribution.

Key words: Altai-Sayan mountain region, latitudinal zonality, altitudinal zonation, permafrost distribution, ground temperature

Please cite as:

Zheleznyak M.N., Shatz M.M., Serikov S.I., Sysoliatin R.G., Skachkov Yu.B., Zhizhin V.I. Altitudinal geotemperature zonation in Central Altai. Earth’s Cryosphere, 2020, vol. XXIV, No. 3, pp.16-21. DOI: 10.21782/EC2541-9994-2020-3(16-21)