Earth’s Cryosphere, 2009, Vol. XIII, No. 1, p. 24-30

THE RESPONSE OF ICE-RICH PERMAFROST IN CENTRAL YAKUTIA TO CLIMATE WARMING

P.P. Gavriliev, I.S. Ugarov

Melnikov Permafrost Institute SB RAS, 677010, Yakutsk, Merzlotnaya str., 1, Russia, ugarov@mpi.ysn.ru

Based on monitoring investigations over the period of 1985 to 2007, the response of the active layer and the upper 10 m of ice-rich permafrost to climate warming is quantified for the inter-alas agricultural landscapes of Central Yakutia. Observations have shown an increase in ground temperature by 1–2 °С, permafrost degradation at a rate of 0.03 to 0.20 m/year, formation of a residual thaw layer, and lowering of the permafrost table by 5 m or more. In the natural landscapes, the active layer thickness shows a slow increasing trend (0.01–0.02 m/year) and the ice-rich permafrost has remained relatively stable.

Key words: Ice-rich permafrost, climate, response, landscape.

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