Engineering geological characteristics and processes of permafrost along the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibet) Highway

Wu, Qingbai; Shi, Bin; Fang, Hsai-Yang

doi:10.1016/s0013-7952(02)00242-9

Cited by 56 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The long‐term average active layer thickness at CM2 site is greater than 3.5 m (Figure 4b). The active layer starts to develop at the beginning of May and will not completely freezeup until the middle of February [see Wu et al , 2003]. In this case, there exists a 0°C upper boundary above permafrost for almost 10 months per year.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent permafrost warming on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

2008

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

[1] Permafrost temperature monitoring through 10 boreholes up to 10.7 m depth has been conducted half-monthly from 1996 through 2006 along the Qinghai-Tibetan Highway. The primary results show that the long-term mean annual permafrost temperatures at 6.0 m depth vary from À0.19°C at the Touerjiu Mountains (TM1) site to À3.43°C at Fenghuo Mountain (FH1) site, with an average of about À1.55°C from all 10 sites over the period of their records, indicating permafrost is relatively warm on the Plateau. Mean annual permafrost temperatures at 6.0 m depth have increased 0.12°C to 0.67°C with an average increase of about 0.43°C during the past decade. Over the same period, mean annual air temperatures from four National Weather Service Stations show an increase of about 0.6°C to 1.6°C, generally sufficient to account for the permafrost warming although other factors, such as changes in snow cover and soil moisture conditions, may also play important roles in permafrost warming. Increase in summer rainfall and decrease in winter snowfall may be cooling factors to the underlying soils, offsetting less degree of permafrost warming compared with the magnitude of air temperature increase. Permafrost temperatures at 6.0 m depth increased year-around with most of the increase happened in spring and summer. Winter air temperature has increased 2.9°C to 4.2°C from 1995 through 2005, which may account for significant spring and summer permafrost warming at 6.0 m depth due to three to six month time lag. However, there were no significant trends of air temperature change in other seasons. Further investigation, especially comprehensive monitoring, is needed to better comprehend the physical processes governing the thermal regime of the active layer and permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent permafrost warming on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

2008

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Land cover change such as building infrastructure may accelerate a deepening of the active layer. The ALT under natural surfaces is lower than under asphalt pavement because asphalt can absorb heat and reduce evaporation [52]. Logging in the study area has greatly disturbed forest environments; the present study area is one of the main sources of lumber in China.…”

Section: Spatio-temporal Variations In Active Layer Thicknessmentioning

confidence: 89%

Spatio-Temporal Variations of Soil Active Layer Thickness in Chinese Boreal Forests from 2000 to 2015

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The soil active layer in boreal forests is sensitive to climate warming. Climate-induced changes in the active layer may greatly affect the global carbon budget and planetary climatic system by releasing large quantities of greenhouse gases that currently are stored in permafrost. Ground surface temperature is an immediate driver of active layer thickness (ALT) dynamics. In this study, we mapped ALT distribution in Chinese boreal larch forests from 2000 to 2015 by integrating remote sensing data with the Stefan equation. We then examined the changes of the ALT in response to changes in ground surface temperature and identified drivers of the spatio-temporal patterns of ALT. Active layer thickness varied from 1.18 to 1.3 m in the study area. Areas of nonforested land and low elevation or with increased air temperature had a relatively high ALT, whereas ALT was lower at relatively high elevation and with decreased air temperatures. Interannual variations of ALT had no obvious trend, however, and the ALT changed at a rate of only −0.01 and 0.01 m year −1 . In a mega-fire patch of 79,000 ha burned in 2003, ∆ALT (ALT i − ALT 2002 , where 2003 ≤ i ≤ 2015) was significantly higher than in the unburned area, with the influence of the wildfire persisting 10 years. Under the high emission scenario (RCP8.5), an increase of 2.6-4.8 • C in mean air temperature would increase ALT into 1.46-1.55 m by 2100, which in turn would produce a significant positive feedback to climate warming.

show abstract

“…A typical characteristic of the Railway's alpine environment are the strong winds (Wu et al ., ; Yang et al ., ). Bai et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A typical characteristic of the Railway's alpine environment are the strong winds (Wu et al, 2003;Yang et al, 2004). Bai et al (2005) reported that, under the influence of the subtropical westerlies, strong winds (with a wind velocity of >17 m s À1 ) occur more than 60 days per along much of the Railway.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wind Tunnel Simulation of Windblown Sand Along China's Qinghai–tibet Railway

Zhang

Han

et al. 2012

Land Degrad Dev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Qinghai–Tibet Railway is frequently damaged by windblown sand, and this hinders railway operation. To better understand the characteristics of windblown sand near the railway, wind tunnel experiments were conducted for the Tuotuo River Section, a typical stretch suffering from windblown sand damage. According to climate data, the windy period combines with an arid seasonal climate to increase the risk of blowing sand in this area. Wind tunnel simulation results showed how the airflow interacted with the railway embankment to create sand deposition as well as aeolian erosion. Sand transport rates behind the railbed fitted a Gaussian function well. The results can be used to guide the design of sand‐control structures both in the study area and in other areas that experience threats from windblown sand. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

show abstract

Engineering geological characteristics and processes of permafrost along the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibet) Highway

Cited by 56 publications

References 1 publication

Recent permafrost warming on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Recent permafrost warming on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Spatio-Temporal Variations of Soil Active Layer Thickness in Chinese Boreal Forests from 2000 to 2015

Wind Tunnel Simulation of Windblown Sand Along China's Qinghai–tibet Railway

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About