Vol. XXVIII, No. 3 (July – August 2024)
Full issue:   EC_3_2024_engl_opt.pdf

CONTENTS

REGIONAL AND HISTORICAL GEOCRYOLOGY

  • Оpokina O.L., Slagoda E.A., Ivanov V.I., Khomutov A.V., Kuznetsova A.O., Danko M.M., Koroleva E.S., Simonova G.V. Formation of the hollow-ridge topography on the Pur–Taz interfluve in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene
    Abstract
    The structure of the upper part of permafrost and the topographic features in the northeast of Western Siberia were shaped by changes in the natural environment in the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. In 2016–2021, sections of different landforms – ridges and thermokarst-erosional hollows – were studied within the third la-custrine-alluvial plain of the Pur–Taz interfluve. The upper part of the plain includes the Kargin–Sartan allu-vial, lacustrine, and slope sediments and Holocene peatlands. Based on the stratigraphy and new geochrono-logical data on the Pur–Taz interfluve, the consequences of the activation of neotectonic processes in the Sartan period and the influence of climatic factors on the differentiation of accumulative and denudation processes in the Holocene were identified.
    Keywords
    cryogenic structure, genesis of sediment, peatlands, radiocarbon dating, relief, neotectonics

GEOCRYOLOGICAL MONITORING AND FORECAST

  • Makarieva O.M., Abramov D.A., Zemlianskova A.A., Ostashov A.A., Nesterova N.V. Permafrost temperature in the Upper Kolyma Highland according to data of thermometric boreholes 2021–2022
    Abstract
    This study is aimed at a preliminary analysis of ground temperature data from ten thermometric boreholes drilled and equipped by the authors in the Upper Kolyma Highland (Magadan region) in 2021–2022. The boreholes of up to 15 m in depth are located in characteristic landscapes (rocky talus, mountainous tundra, larch woodland, river valleys) of the highland at heights from 618 to 1182 m a.s.l. Continuous monitoring of ground temperatures with a time step of 4 h was carried out. Data on the mean annual ground temperatures, seasonal thawing/freezing depths, and the depths of zero annual amplitude were obtained. The mean annual ground temperature varied from –0.1 to –3.8°C. The depth of seasonal thawing ranged from 0.9 to 2.6 m. The depth of zero annual amplitudes was 11.5 and 13 m in two boreholes. Two boreholes located in talik zones recorded the freezing depth of 2.6 and 3.6 m. Ground temperature regimes within the same region differed significantly depending on landscape conditions: elevation, landform, composition of the rock, character of vegetation, and other factors. Based on the data obtained, it is planned to further develop the geocryological monitoring network in the Magadan region. For some of the boreholes, full annual cycle of observations on ground and air temperatures, precipitation, and snow cover depth is available. As information on the state of permafrost in the territory under consideration is absent, publication of the obtained data of relatively short-term observations is relevant and timely.
    Keywords
    frozen ground, seasonal thawing/freezing layer, ground temperature regime, the Upper Kolyma Highland, talik

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES IN FROZEN GROUND AND ICE

  • Shavlov A.V., Yakovenko A.A., Yakovenko E.S. An interstitial model of the interphase electric potential of freezing of aqueous solutions
    Abstract
    A new model of pure water freezing potential (Workman–Reynolds potential) explained the positive electric charge of ice relative to water during crystallization by the fact that protons were captured faster than hydroxide ions by numerous traps of charge in ice – interstitials. In the present article, additions have been made to this model to extend its application from pure water to aqueous solutions with an impurity concentration in the parent solution of 10–4 mol/L or more. The additions take into account the ability of impurity anions and cations to act as acceptors for protons and hydroxide ions in ice. As a result of capture by acceptors, the equilib-rium concentrations of protons and hydroxide ions can shift significantly in favor of the former or the latter. This shift should radically affect the kinetics of filling the charge traps (interstitials) with protons or hydroxide ions and the sign of the electric charge of ice relative to the solution. In particular, the model explains the negative ice charge during crystallization of 10–4 mol/L KCl solutions. The application of the modified model to various geocryological phenomena, such as water migration in frozen soils, frost heaving, and intensified corrosion of metals is discussed.
    Keywords
    ice, Workman–Reynolds potential, crystallization rate, proton, interstitial, acceptor

SURFACE AND GROUND WATERS IN TERRESTRIAL PERMAFROST REGION

  • Kitaev L.M., Ableeva V.A. Variability of the groundwater regime on the background of changes in snow storage (by the example of the Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve)
    Abstract
    Based on observation data on typical areas of the Prioksko-Terrasny Nature Reserve for 1999–2021, the influence of snow accumulation on the dynamics of the groundwater level was clarified with due account for the variability in air temperature and precipitation. An assessment of the spatial heterogeneity of seasonal and long-term variability in meteorological characteristics and the groundwater level was made. A regression analysis demonstrated that the snow storage has a significant influence on the long-term dynamics of the groundwater level during both the snowy season (December–April) and the period of the maximum rise in the groundwater level (May–July). The effects of the air temperature of the cold season, duration of thaws, and the accumulated positive air temperatures during them on the groundwater level were statistically insignificant. The obtained conclusions complement the results of studies of the relationship between the variability of snow cover characteristics and the depth of groundwater under the conditions of modern meteorological regime and can be used to specify regional features of water exchange processes.
    Keywords
    groundwater levels, snow thickness, air temperature, precipitation, thaws, spatial and temporal variability, regression dependences

PERMAFROST ENGINEERING

  • Kraev A.N., Makarov A.S., Maltseva T.V., Shankhoev Z.Sh. Modeling thermomechanical interaction of the elements of a highway constructed on frozen soils
    Abstract
    Experimental and numerical modeling was conducted to analyze the temperature regime and the deformation state of a highway structure conceptualized as a geotechnical system comprising a “subgrade and the foundation of a highway made of frozen soil”. Potential disturbances of the temperature regime are considered, and a design and technological solution for thermal stabilization of the soil foundation under the subgrade in flooded areas using geocontainers is proposed. To study and evaluate the temperature regime of the highway structure, a series of laboratory experiments were performed. To account for the viscoelastic properties of the soil in the mathematical model of the soil foundation, time functions of the relative settlement of the soil foundation with geocontainers in the chosen temperature regime were obtained.
    Keywords
    temperature regime, highway, soil settlement, laboratory research, frozen viscoelastic soils

  • Gorbunova A.A. Thermodynamic calculation of a heat pump combined with a surface foundation on permafrost soils
    Abstract
    The proposed calculation takes into account specific features of the operation of a heat pump installed on the surface foundation in permafrost soils, i.e., the heat flow from the heating circuit of the pump to the cooling circuit. Heat transfer reduces the conversion coefficient of low-potential heat into high-potential heat, but, unfortunately, this is ignored in well-known publications. In addition, the calculation shows a significant effect of the freon brand in the evaporation–condensation circuit of the refrigeration machine on the conversion coefficient.
    Keywords
    conversion factor, heat pump, surface foundation, permafrost soils

CHRONICLE