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Thermal state of permafrost in Russia

  1. V. E. Romanovsky1,*,
  2. D. S. Drozdov2,
  3. N. G. Oberman3,
  4. G. V. Malkova2,
  5. A. L. Kholodov1,
  6. S. S. Marchenko1,
  7. N. G. Moskalenko2,
  8. D. O. Sergeev4,
  9. N. G. Ukraintseva5,
  10. A. A. Abramov6,
  11. D. A. Gilichinsky6,
  12. A. A. Vasiliev2

Article first published online: 8 JUN 2010

DOI: 10.1002/ppp.683

Issue

Permafrost and Periglacial Processes

Permafrost and Periglacial Processes

Special Issue: The International Polar Year

Volume 21, Issue 2, pages 136–155, April/June 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Romanovsky, V. E., Drozdov, D. S., Oberman, N. G., Malkova, G. V., Kholodov, A. L., Marchenko, S. S., Moskalenko, N. G., Sergeev, D. O., Ukraintseva, N. G., Abramov, A. A., Gilichinsky, D. A. and Vasiliev, A. A. (2010), Thermal state of permafrost in Russia. Permafrost Periglac. Process., 21: 136–155. doi: 10.1002/ppp.683

Author Information

  1. 1

    Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

  2. 2

    Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen, Russia

  3. 3

    MIRECO Mining Company, Syktyvkar, Russia

  4. 4

    Institute of Environmental Geoscience, Moscow, Russia

  5. 5

    Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

  6. 6

    Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Pushchino, Russia

*Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775 USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 JUN 2010
  2. Article first published online: 8 JUN 2010
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 14 MAR 2010
  4. Manuscript Revised: 7 MAR 2010
  5. Manuscript Received: 9 JAN 2010

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Keywords:

  • permafrost;
  • ground temperature regime;
  • climate change;
  • permafrost thaw;
  • active layer;
  • Russia

Abstract

The results of the International Permafrost Association's International Polar Year Thermal State of Permafrost (TSP) project are presented based on field measurements from Russia during the IPY years (2007–09) and collected historical data. Most ground temperatures measured in existing and new boreholes show a substantial warming during the last 20 to 30 years. The magnitude of the warming varied with location, but was typically from 0.5°C to 2°C at the depth of zero annual amplitude. Thawing of Little Ice Age permafrost is ongoing at many locations. There are some indications that the late Holocene permafrost has begun to thaw at some undisturbed locations in northeastern Europe and northwest Siberia. Thawing of permafrost is most noticeable within the discontinuous permafrost domain. However, permafrost in Russia is also starting to thaw at some limited locations in the continuous permafrost zone. As a result, a northward displacement of the boundary between continuous and discontinuous permafrost zones was observed. This data set will serve as a baseline against which to measure changes of near-surface permafrost temperatures and permafrost boundaries, to validate climate model scenarios, and for temperature reanalysis. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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