Rock slope failure in a recently deglaciated permafrost rock wall at Piz Kesch (Eastern Swiss Alps), February 2014

In February 2014, a rock pillar with a volume of around 150 000  m³ collapsed at Piz Kesch in the Eastern Swiss Alps. A reconstruction of the conditions prior to the event and of the event itself is presented on the basis of different sources of data. The methods applied include photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, structural geological analysis, examination of meteorological data, carbon‐14 (¹⁴C) dating of organic material in permafrost ice from a tension crack and numerical modelling of likely modes of failure. Despite a complete lack of in situ measurements in the rock wall prior to the event and of direct observations during the event, the available data allow the determination of the approximate timing of the event as well as the structural predisposition, the probable mode of failure and the timescale of several millennia involved in the triggering of the failure of the rock pillar. The interdisciplinary analysis of this event contributes towards understanding the complex interaction of processes involved in large rock slope failures currently occurring in warming mountain permafrost regions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

从第三极到北极： 多年冻土碳循环研究进展

多年冻土区储存着大量的土壤有机碳, 其碳库变化及生态系统碳反馈机制是当前全球气候变化研究中备受关注的热点问题。为了增强对多年冻土碳循环的认识, 通过综合第三极和北极地区多年冻土碳循环研究, 概述了土壤有机碳库大小、 脆弱性及生态系统碳交换过程, 分析了涉及大气、 海洋和陆地综合影响的多年冻土区生态系统碳循环。研究表明： 第三极和北极多年冻土区碳储量不确定性较大, 影响和控制有机碳分解和生态系统碳交换的生物地球化学过程仍需进一步研究, 进而改进生态系统碳循环相关的模拟研究。在全球气候变化背景下, 研究多年冻土碳库变化及其对气候变化的响应, 是预估未来气候变化的关键环节。     

热反射技术及其在多年冻土区道路热保护中的应用

热反射技术是一项被广泛应用于建筑物及道路表面降温的主动冷却技术, 国内外很少对此技术在多年冻土区道路热保护方面进行研究。针对多年冻土区气候及工程环境特点, 综述了热反射技术在冻土区道路中的应用现状和研究成果, 阐述了热反射涂层的基本成分、 反射机理和测试方法, 分析了路用热反射涂层的材料性能、 反射效果和路用性能, 简要介绍了热反射涂层在路基边坡应用方面的研究进展。指出在当前条件下利用热反射涂层保护多年冻土区道路所遇到的问题及可行的解决方案, 并在此基础上提出了今后研究的重点： 从材料选择、 理论分析和试验方法入手, 对路用热反射涂层的颜色、 反射性能、 路用性能和区域适用性进行改进和研究, 加强多年冻土区道路热反射涂层的野外试验和分析, 深入研究复杂气候和工程环境下的热反射涂层性能。     

基于声波测井的冻土区孔隙型水合物储层水合物饱和度估算方法

水合物饱和度参数的准确计算对于水合物资源量的评价至关重要。本文提出利用超声波测井资料与等效介质模型相结合的方法,可有效评价祁连山冻土区孔隙型水合物储层水合物饱和度变化特征,并在典型孔隙型水合物钻孔DKXX 13进行了应用。基于等效介质理论的弹性波速度模型正演模拟的纵波速度相比基于双相介质理论的弹性波速度模型更加吻合实际测井纵波速度,可用于分析孔隙型水合物储层的纵波速度特征;通过正演模拟的纵波速度与实际测井纵波速度的对比,识别出X30. 0~X30. 2m、X30. 3~X30. 4m、X31. 1~X31. 6m、X31. 7~X31. 9m、X32. 0~X32. 2m井段存在水合物,水合物赋存井段地层的水合物饱和度变化范围为13. 0%~85. 0%,平均值为61. 9%,与标准阿尔奇公式估算结果和现场岩芯测试结果基本一致。研究结果可为祁连山冻土区水合物地层测井评价与地震勘探提供理论依据和技术支撑。     

冻土区土石混合体冻融交界面剪切性能研究

随着全球气候变暖,多年冻土加速退化,冻土区土石混合体边坡稳定性问题日益突出。为探究不同含水率和碎石含量对土石混合体冻融交界面剪切强度的影响。开展土石混合体冻融交界面直剪试验,得出含水率（21%、24%、27%、30%）和含石率（0%、10%、20%、30%、35%、40%）对土石混合体冻融交界面抗剪强度变化的影响规律。试验结果表明：含水率对土石混合体冻融交界面强度的影响可分为快速下降和缓慢下降两个阶段。当含水率从21%增加到27%的过程中,土石混合体冻融交界面强度下降迅速。当含水率从27%增加到30%的过程中,界面抗剪强度继续下降,但下降速率减慢,即含水率对界面强度影响的阈值在27%左右。随着碎石含量增加,界面抗剪强度一直处于增长趋势。当含石率为10%的交界面强度相比不含石的交界面强度有明显增加,最大增长幅度为33%。当含石率大于30%时,土体抗剪强度增长迅速,即含石率对界面强度影响的阈值在30%左右。当含石率一定时,交界面处摩擦角随着含水率增加逐渐减小,在含水率达到27%后变化缓慢,而交界面黏聚力在含水率达到27%前快速减小后趋于缓慢下降。当含水率一定时,随着含石率增加,交界面摩擦角一直处于增长,尤其在含石率超过30%后增长迅速。当含石率从0%增加到30%的过程中,黏聚力先有小幅度下降后处于平缓增长趋势,在含石率超过30%后迅速增加而后又趋于平缓。     

Monitoring surface changes in discontinuous permafrost terrain using small baseline SAR interferometry,object-based classification,and geological features: a case study from Mayo,Yukon Territory,Canada

Permafrost-induced deformation of ground features is threating infrastructure in northern communities. An understanding of permafrost distribution is therefore critical for sustainable adaptation planning and infrastructure maintenance. Considering the large area underlain by permafrost in the Yukon Territory, there is a need for baseline information to characterize the permafrost in this region. In this study, the Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) technique was used to identify areas of ground movement likely caused by changes in permafrost. The DInSAR technique was applied to a series of repeat-pass C-band RADARSAT-2 observations collected in 2015 over the Village of Mayo, in central Yukon Territory, Canada. The conventional DInSAR technique demonstrated that ground deformation could be detected in this area, but the resulting deformation maps contained errors due to a loss of coherence from changes in vegetation and atmospheric phase delay. To address these limitations, the Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) InSAR technique was applied to reduce phase error, thus improving the deformation maps. To understand the relationship between the deformation maps and land cover types, an object-based Random Forest classification was developed to classify the study area into different land cover types. Integration of the InSAR results and the classification map revealed that the built-up class (e.g., airport) was affected by subsidence on the order of ?2 to ?4 cm. The spatial extent of the surface displacement map obtained using the SBAS InSAR technique was then correlated with the surficial geology map. This revealed that much of the main infrastructure in the Village of Mayo is underlain by interbedded glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine sediments, the latter of which caused the most damage to human made structures. This study provides a method for permafrost monitoring that builds upon the synergistic use of the SBAS InSAR technique, object-based image analysis, and surficial geology data.     

青藏高原多年冻土和季节性冻土区土壤水分变化及其与降水的关系

使用地面观测数据对欧洲空间局(ESA)发布的气候变化倡议(CCI)土壤水分产品进行精度校准,结合青藏高原及其周边降水气象站数据,分析土壤水分动态变化及其与降水的关系.结果表明:(1)校正后的CCI主被动组合产品所反演的青藏高原土壤水分获得了更高的精度,且显示1986～2016年暖季土壤水分在多年冻土区的逐年变化更为稳定...     

Characteristics and changes of permafrost along the engineering corridor of National Highway 214 in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Due to a series of linear projects built along National Highway 214, the second "Permafrost Engineering Corridor" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has formed. In this paper, by overcoming the problems of data decentralization and standard inconsistency, permafrost characteristics and changes along the engineering corridor are systematically summarized based on the survey and monitoring data. The results show that: 1) Being controlled by elevation, the permafrost is distributed in flake discontinuity with mountains as the center along the line. The total length of the road section in permafrost regions is 365 km, of which the total length of the permafrost section of National Highway 214 is 216.7 km, and the total length of the permafrost section of Gong-Yu Expressway is 197.3 km. The mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) is higher than -1.5 °C, and permafrost with MAGT lower than -1.5 °C is only distributed in the sections at Bayan Har Mountain and E'la Mountain. There are obvious differences in the distribution of ground ice in the different sections along the engineering corridor. The sections with high ice content are mainly located in Zuimatan, Duogerong Plain and the top of north and south slope of Bayan Har Mountain. The permafrost thickness is controlled by the ground temperature, and permafrost thickness increases with the decrease of the ground temperature, with the change rate of about 37 m/°C. 2) Local factors (topography, landform, vegetation and lithology) affect the degradation process of permafrost, and then affect the distribution, ground temperature, thickness and ice content of permafrost. Asphalt pavement has greatly changed the heat exchange balance of the original ground, resulting in serious degradation of the permafrost. Due to the influence of roadbed direction trend, the phenomenon of shady-sunny slope is very significant in most sections along the line. The warming range of permafrost under the roadbed is gradually smaller with the increase of depth, so the thawing settlement of the shallow section with high ice-content permafrost is more significant.