Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau
<p>Permafrost as a climate-sensitive parameter and its occurrence and distribution play an important role in the observation of global warming. However, field-based permafrost distribution data and information on the subsurface ice content in the large area of the southern mountainous Tibetan...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2021-01-01
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| Series: | The Cryosphere |
| Online Access: | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/149/2021/tc-15-149-2021.pdf |
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| author | J. Buckel E. Reinosch A. Hördt F. Zhang B. Riedel M. Gerke A. Schwalb R. Mäusbacher |
| author_facet | J. Buckel E. Reinosch A. Hördt F. Zhang B. Riedel M. Gerke A. Schwalb R. Mäusbacher |
| author_sort | J. Buckel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Permafrost as a climate-sensitive parameter and its occurrence and
distribution play an important role in the observation of global warming.
However, field-based permafrost distribution data and information on the
subsurface ice content in the large area of the southern mountainous Tibetan
Plateau (TP) are very sparse. Existing models based on boreholes and remote
sensing approaches suggest permafrost probabilities for most of the Tibetan
mountain ranges. Field data to validate permafrost models are generally
lacking because access to the mountain regions in extreme altitudes is
limited. The study provides geomorphological and geophysical field data from
a north-orientated high-altitude catchment in the western
Nyainqêntanglha Range. A multi-method approach combines (A)
geomorphological mapping, (B) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to
identify subsurface ice occurrence and (C) interferometric synthetic
aperture radar (InSAR) analysis to derive multi-annual creeping rates. The
combination of the resulting data allows an assessment of the lower
occurrence of permafrost in a range of 5350 and 5500 m above sea level
(a.s.l.) in the Qugaqie basin. Periglacial landforms such as rock glaciers
and protalus ramparts are located in the periglacial zone from 5300–5600 m a.s.l. The altitudinal periglacial landform distribution is supported
by ERT data detecting ice-rich permafrost in a rock glacier at 5500 m a.s.l.
and ice lenses around the rock glacier (5450 m a.s.l.). The highest
multiannual creeping rates up to 150 mm yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> are typically observed on these
rock glaciers. This study closes the gap of unknown state of periglacial
features and potential permafrost occurrence in a high-elevated basin in the
western Nyainqêntanglha Range (Tibetan Plateau).</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:36:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-083ba78c7b5349efb35de7aec902c414 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1994-0416 1994-0424 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T05:36:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Cryosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-083ba78c7b5349efb35de7aec902c4142022-12-21T22:01:37ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe Cryosphere1994-04161994-04242021-01-011514916810.5194/tc-15-149-2021Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan PlateauJ. Buckel0E. Reinosch1A. Hördt2F. Zhang3B. Riedel4M. Gerke5A. Schwalb6R. Mäusbacher7Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technische Universiät Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyInstitute for Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Technische Universiät Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyInstitute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics, Technische Universiät Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyKey Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, ChinaInstitute for Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Technische Universiät Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyInstitute for Geodesy and Photogrammetry, Technische Universiät Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyInstitute of Geosystems and Bioindication, Technische Universiät Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyGeographical Institute, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany<p>Permafrost as a climate-sensitive parameter and its occurrence and distribution play an important role in the observation of global warming. However, field-based permafrost distribution data and information on the subsurface ice content in the large area of the southern mountainous Tibetan Plateau (TP) are very sparse. Existing models based on boreholes and remote sensing approaches suggest permafrost probabilities for most of the Tibetan mountain ranges. Field data to validate permafrost models are generally lacking because access to the mountain regions in extreme altitudes is limited. The study provides geomorphological and geophysical field data from a north-orientated high-altitude catchment in the western Nyainqêntanglha Range. A multi-method approach combines (A) geomorphological mapping, (B) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to identify subsurface ice occurrence and (C) interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) analysis to derive multi-annual creeping rates. The combination of the resulting data allows an assessment of the lower occurrence of permafrost in a range of 5350 and 5500 m above sea level (a.s.l.) in the Qugaqie basin. Periglacial landforms such as rock glaciers and protalus ramparts are located in the periglacial zone from 5300–5600 m a.s.l. The altitudinal periglacial landform distribution is supported by ERT data detecting ice-rich permafrost in a rock glacier at 5500 m a.s.l. and ice lenses around the rock glacier (5450 m a.s.l.). The highest multiannual creeping rates up to 150 mm yr<span class="inline-formula"><sup>−1</sup></span> are typically observed on these rock glaciers. This study closes the gap of unknown state of periglacial features and potential permafrost occurrence in a high-elevated basin in the western Nyainqêntanglha Range (Tibetan Plateau).</p>https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/149/2021/tc-15-149-2021.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Buckel E. Reinosch A. Hördt F. Zhang B. Riedel M. Gerke A. Schwalb R. Mäusbacher Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau The Cryosphere |
| title | Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Insights into a remote cryosphere: a multi-method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the Qugaqie basin, western Nyainqêntanglha Range, Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | insights into a remote cryosphere a multi method approach to assess permafrost occurrence at the qugaqie basin western nyainqentanglha range tibetan plateau |
| url | https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/149/2021/tc-15-149-2021.pdf |
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