Many observations in and model simulations for northern basins have confirmed an increased streamflow from degrading permafrost,while the streamflow has declined in the source area of the Yellow River(SAYR,above the T...Many observations in and model simulations for northern basins have confirmed an increased streamflow from degrading permafrost,while the streamflow has declined in the source area of the Yellow River(SAYR,above the Tanag hydrological station)on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,West China.How and to what extent does the degrading permafrost change the flow in the SAYR?According to seasonal regimes of hydrological processes,the SAYR is divided intofour sub-basins with varied permafrost extents to detect impacts of permafrost degradation on the Yellow River streamflow.Results show that permafrost degradation may have released appreciable meltwater for recharging groundwater.The potential release rate of ground-ice melt-water in the Sub-basin 1(the headwater area of the Yellow River(HAYR),above the Huangheyan hydrological station)is the highest(5.6 mm per year),contributing to 14.4%of the annual Yellow River streamflow at Huangheyan.Seasonal/intra-and annual shifts of streamflow,a possible signal for the marked alteration of hydrological processes by permafrost degradation,is observed in the HAYR,but the shifts are minor in other sub-basins in the SAYR.Improved hydraulic connectivity is expected to occur during and after certain degrees of permafrost degradation.Direct impacts of permafrost degradation on the annual Yellow River streamflow in the SAYR at Tanag,i.e.,from the meltwater of ground-ice,is estimated at 4.9%that of the annual Yellow River discharge at Tanag,yet with a high uncertainty,due to neglecting of the improved hydraulic connections from permafrost degradation and the flow generation conditions for the ground-ice meltwater.Enhanced evapotranspiration,substantial weakening of the Southwest China Autumn Rain,and anthropogenic disturbances may largely account for the declined streamflow in the SAYR.展开更多
Timely and proper backfilling of open-pits in strip coal-mines has been an effective measurement for the recovery of the hydrothermal regimes and ecological environment in permafrost regions. In this study, numerical ...Timely and proper backfilling of open-pits in strip coal-mines has been an effective measurement for the recovery of the hydrothermal regimes and ecological environment in permafrost regions. In this study, numerical simulations and statistical regressions were applied for analyzing the recovery processes of the backfill and its major influencing factors for the thermal equilibrium in recently backfilled open pits at the Gulian strip coalmine in Mo'he, Northeast China. Results show that the thermal recovery time of backfilled areas is positively correlated to the backfill depth(BD) of the soils, the backfilled soil temperature(BST), and the mean annual ground surface temperature(MAGST); meanwhile, climate warming can impact on thermal regimes of the backfill area. The impact of climate warming on ground temperature of the backfill will show up significantly in about 50 years afterbackfilling(BD at 10.0 and 20.0 m, BST at 20.0°C) under the climate warming scenario(CWS) of 0.025°C·year ^(-1). Grey-relation analyses show that the sensitivity of the backfill recovery time declines in the order of the BD, BST and MAGST. On the basis of the abovementioned studies, the layer-by-layer backfilling in cold seasons is advised for more effective and more rapid recovery of thermal regimes of the backfilled open-pits in cold regions.展开更多
Under a warming climate,degrading permafrost profoundly and extensively affects arctic and alpine ecology.However,most existing relevant studies are more focused on the hydrothermal impacts of vegetation on the underl...Under a warming climate,degrading permafrost profoundly and extensively affects arctic and alpine ecology.However,most existing relevant studies are more focused on the hydrothermal impacts of vegetation on the underlying permafrost,or symbiosis between vegetation and permafrost,only very few on ecological impacts of permafrost degradation.Additionally,there are much more pertinent investigations in arctic and boreal regions than those in alpine and high-plateau regions at mid-and low latitudes.This study emphasizes on the impact mechanisms of permafrost degradation on vegetation both at high and mid-to low latitudes,addressing vegetation succession trajectories and associated changes in soil hydrology and soil nutrient above degrading permafrost.Permafrost degradation influences vegetation by altering soil hydrology,soil biogeochemical processes and microbial communities,which further improve soil nutrient availability.Furthermore,under a warming climate,vegetation may take two successional trajectories,towards a wetter or drier ecosystem within a certain time period,but to a drier ecosystem in the end upon the thaw of permafrost in case of permeable soils and good drainage.Thus,with rapidly developing remote-sensing and other space-and ground-based and air-borne observational networks and numerical predictive models,the impacting mechanisms of permafrost degradation on vegetation should be timely and better monitored,evaluated and modeled at desired spatiotemporal scales and resolutions by terrestrial or integrated ecosystem models.展开更多
To understand the variations in surface water associated with changes in air temperature,precipitation,and permafrost in the Headwater Area of the Yellow River(HAYR),we studied the dynamics of alpine lakes larger than...To understand the variations in surface water associated with changes in air temperature,precipitation,and permafrost in the Headwater Area of the Yellow River(HAYR),we studied the dynamics of alpine lakes larger than 0.01 km^2 during 1986-2019 using Google Earth Engine(GEE)platform.The surface areas of water bodies in the HAYR were processed using mass remote sensing images consisting of Landsat TM/ETM-H/OLI,Sentinel-2A,and MODIS based on automatic extraction of water indices under GEE.Besides,the lake ice phenology of the Sister Lakes(the Gyaring Lake and the Ngoring Lake)was derived by threshold segmenting of water/ice area ratio.Results demonstrate that the change of surface areas experienced four stages:decreasing during 1986-2004,increasing during 2004-2012,decreasing again during 2012-2017,and increasing again during 2017-2019.Correspondingly,the number of small lakes decreased(-26.5 per year),increased(139.5 per year),again decreased(-109.0 per year),and again increased(433.0 per year).Eight lakes larger than 1 km^2 disappeared in 2004 but restored afterward.The overall trends in the area of small lakes(0.01-1 km^2),large lakes(>1 km^2),and all lakes during 1986-2019 were 0.4,3.1,and 3.4 km^2 per year,respectively.Although the onsets of freezing,freeze-up,breaking and the break-up of the Sister Lakes varied from year to year,there is no obvious trend regarding the lake ice phenology.Tendencies of lake variations in the HAYR are primarily related to the increased net precipitation and the declined aridity,followed by the construction of hydropower station around the outlet of the Ngoring Lake,as well as permafrost degradation.展开更多
Dynamics of the frozen ground are key to understand the changes of eco-environment in cold regions,especially for areas with limited field observations.In this study,we analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of ...Dynamics of the frozen ground are key to understand the changes of eco-environment in cold regions,especially for areas with limited field observations.In this study,we analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of the ground surface freezing and thawing indices from 1900 to 2017 for the upper Brahmaputra River(also called the Yarlung Zangbo River in China)Basin(UBRB),southwestern Tibetan Plateau,with the air freezing and thawing indices using the University of Delaware(UDEL)monthly gridded air temperature dataset.The abrupt change years for air freezing index(AH)and ground surface freezing index(GH)were detected in 1999 and 2002,respectively,and for both air thawing index(ATI)and ground surface thawing index(GTI)were 2009.With the air temperature rising at a rate of 0.006℃ per year over 1900-2017,the AH and GH decreased at a rate of-0.1℃ d per year,while the ATI and GTI increased at rates of 0.3 and 0.5℃ d per year before the abrupt change year,respectively;all changing trends of freezing/thawing indices increased after the abrupt year,which was-2.9,-0.8,7.3,and 21.7℃ d per year for the AH,GFI,ATI,and GTI,respectively.We utilized the surface frost number model to obtain the dynamics of the frozen ground over the UBRB.When the empirical coefficient of E was assigned to 1.2,the simulated frozen ground occupied about 53.2%of the whole UBRB in the 1990s,which agreed well with the existing permafrost map published in 1996.The area of frozen ground accounts for 51.5%-54.5%of the UBRB during 1900-2017.This result may facilitate further studies of the multi-interactions among the frozen ground and relevant eco-environment,such as the air-ground surface energy exchange,hydrological cycles,and changes of the active layer thickness over the UBRB.展开更多
The Nanwenghe Wetlands Reserve in the Yile'huli Mountains is a representative region of the Xing'an permafrost.The response of permafrost to climate change remains unclear due to limited field investigations.T...The Nanwenghe Wetlands Reserve in the Yile'huli Mountains is a representative region of the Xing'an permafrost.The response of permafrost to climate change remains unclear due to limited field investigations.Thus,longer-term responses of the ground thermal state to climate change since 2011 have been monitored at four sites with varied surface characteristics:Carex tato wetland(P1)and shrub-C.tato wetland(P2)with a multi-year average temperatures at the depth of zero annual amplitude(T_(ZAA))of−0.52 and−1.19℃,respectively;Betula platyphylla-Larix gmelinii(Rupr.)Kuzen mixed forest(P3)with T_(ZAA) of 0.17℃,and;the forest of L.gmelinii(Rupr.)Kuzen(P4)with T_(ZAA) of 1.65℃.Continuous observations demonstrate that the ecosystem-protected Xing'an permafrost experienced a cooling under a warming climate.The temperature at the top of permafrost(TTOP)rose(1.8℃ per decade)but the TZAA declined(−0.14℃ per decade),while the active layer thickness(ALT)thinned from 0.9 m in 2012 to 0.8 m in 2014 at P1.Both the TTOP and TZAA increased(0.89 and 0.06℃ per decade,respectively),but the ALT thinned from 1.4 m in 2012 to 0.7 m in 2016 at P2.Vertically detached permafrost at P3 disappeared in summer 2012,with warming rates of+0.42 and+0.17℃ per decade for TTOP and T_(ZAA),respectively.However,up to date,the ground thermal state has remained stable at P4.We conclude that the thermal offset is crucial for the preservation and persistence of the Xing'an permafrost at the southern fringe.展开更多
基金the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Priority Research Program(XDA20100103)Ministry of Science and Technology of China Key R&D Program(2017YFC0405704)CAS Overseas Professorships of Victor F Bense and Sergey S Marchenko at the former Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute(now renamed to Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources),CAS during 2013-2016.
文摘Many observations in and model simulations for northern basins have confirmed an increased streamflow from degrading permafrost,while the streamflow has declined in the source area of the Yellow River(SAYR,above the Tanag hydrological station)on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,West China.How and to what extent does the degrading permafrost change the flow in the SAYR?According to seasonal regimes of hydrological processes,the SAYR is divided intofour sub-basins with varied permafrost extents to detect impacts of permafrost degradation on the Yellow River streamflow.Results show that permafrost degradation may have released appreciable meltwater for recharging groundwater.The potential release rate of ground-ice melt-water in the Sub-basin 1(the headwater area of the Yellow River(HAYR),above the Huangheyan hydrological station)is the highest(5.6 mm per year),contributing to 14.4%of the annual Yellow River streamflow at Huangheyan.Seasonal/intra-and annual shifts of streamflow,a possible signal for the marked alteration of hydrological processes by permafrost degradation,is observed in the HAYR,but the shifts are minor in other sub-basins in the SAYR.Improved hydraulic connectivity is expected to occur during and after certain degrees of permafrost degradation.Direct impacts of permafrost degradation on the annual Yellow River streamflow in the SAYR at Tanag,i.e.,from the meltwater of ground-ice,is estimated at 4.9%that of the annual Yellow River discharge at Tanag,yet with a high uncertainty,due to neglecting of the improved hydraulic connections from permafrost degradation and the flow generation conditions for the ground-ice meltwater.Enhanced evapotranspiration,substantial weakening of the Southwest China Autumn Rain,and anthropogenic disturbances may largely account for the declined streamflow in the SAYR.
基金supported by the research projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41401081) "Thermal impacts of organic matter on properties of permafrost soils in the Da Xing'anling (Hinggan) Mountains"the State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soils Engineering, Ministry of Science and Technology, China "Impacts of human activities on the hydrothermal processes of permafrost in the Da Xing'anling (Hinggan) Mountains – a case study from the Gulian strip coal mine" (Grant No. SKLFSE-ZT-41)
文摘Timely and proper backfilling of open-pits in strip coal-mines has been an effective measurement for the recovery of the hydrothermal regimes and ecological environment in permafrost regions. In this study, numerical simulations and statistical regressions were applied for analyzing the recovery processes of the backfill and its major influencing factors for the thermal equilibrium in recently backfilled open pits at the Gulian strip coalmine in Mo'he, Northeast China. Results show that the thermal recovery time of backfilled areas is positively correlated to the backfill depth(BD) of the soils, the backfilled soil temperature(BST), and the mean annual ground surface temperature(MAGST); meanwhile, climate warming can impact on thermal regimes of the backfill area. The impact of climate warming on ground temperature of the backfill will show up significantly in about 50 years afterbackfilling(BD at 10.0 and 20.0 m, BST at 20.0°C) under the climate warming scenario(CWS) of 0.025°C·year ^(-1). Grey-relation analyses show that the sensitivity of the backfill recovery time declines in the order of the BD, BST and MAGST. On the basis of the abovementioned studies, the layer-by-layer backfilling in cold seasons is advised for more effective and more rapid recovery of thermal regimes of the backfilled open-pits in cold regions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)Program on Study on impacts of forest fires on the permafrost environment in the Da Xing’anling Mountains,Northeast China(41871052)State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soils Engineering(SKLFSE)program Fire-induced changes in the permafrost environment in Alaska:Observations,modeling and assessment(SKLFSE201811)。
文摘Under a warming climate,degrading permafrost profoundly and extensively affects arctic and alpine ecology.However,most existing relevant studies are more focused on the hydrothermal impacts of vegetation on the underlying permafrost,or symbiosis between vegetation and permafrost,only very few on ecological impacts of permafrost degradation.Additionally,there are much more pertinent investigations in arctic and boreal regions than those in alpine and high-plateau regions at mid-and low latitudes.This study emphasizes on the impact mechanisms of permafrost degradation on vegetation both at high and mid-to low latitudes,addressing vegetation succession trajectories and associated changes in soil hydrology and soil nutrient above degrading permafrost.Permafrost degradation influences vegetation by altering soil hydrology,soil biogeochemical processes and microbial communities,which further improve soil nutrient availability.Furthermore,under a warming climate,vegetation may take two successional trajectories,towards a wetter or drier ecosystem within a certain time period,but to a drier ecosystem in the end upon the thaw of permafrost in case of permeable soils and good drainage.Thus,with rapidly developing remote-sensing and other space-and ground-based and air-borne observational networks and numerical predictive models,the impacting mechanisms of permafrost degradation on vegetation should be timely and better monitored,evaluated and modeled at desired spatiotemporal scales and resolutions by terrestrial or integrated ecosystem models.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC0405701)the National Natural Science Foundation(NSF)of China(41671060).
文摘To understand the variations in surface water associated with changes in air temperature,precipitation,and permafrost in the Headwater Area of the Yellow River(HAYR),we studied the dynamics of alpine lakes larger than 0.01 km^2 during 1986-2019 using Google Earth Engine(GEE)platform.The surface areas of water bodies in the HAYR were processed using mass remote sensing images consisting of Landsat TM/ETM-H/OLI,Sentinel-2A,and MODIS based on automatic extraction of water indices under GEE.Besides,the lake ice phenology of the Sister Lakes(the Gyaring Lake and the Ngoring Lake)was derived by threshold segmenting of water/ice area ratio.Results demonstrate that the change of surface areas experienced four stages:decreasing during 1986-2004,increasing during 2004-2012,decreasing again during 2012-2017,and increasing again during 2017-2019.Correspondingly,the number of small lakes decreased(-26.5 per year),increased(139.5 per year),again decreased(-109.0 per year),and again increased(433.0 per year).Eight lakes larger than 1 km^2 disappeared in 2004 but restored afterward.The overall trends in the area of small lakes(0.01-1 km^2),large lakes(>1 km^2),and all lakes during 1986-2019 were 0.4,3.1,and 3.4 km^2 per year,respectively.Although the onsets of freezing,freeze-up,breaking and the break-up of the Sister Lakes varied from year to year,there is no obvious trend regarding the lake ice phenology.Tendencies of lake variations in the HAYR are primarily related to the increased net precipitation and the declined aridity,followed by the construction of hydropower station around the outlet of the Ngoring Lake,as well as permafrost degradation.
基金supported by the National NaturalScience Foundation of China(91747201).
文摘Dynamics of the frozen ground are key to understand the changes of eco-environment in cold regions,especially for areas with limited field observations.In this study,we analyzed the spatial and temporal variations of the ground surface freezing and thawing indices from 1900 to 2017 for the upper Brahmaputra River(also called the Yarlung Zangbo River in China)Basin(UBRB),southwestern Tibetan Plateau,with the air freezing and thawing indices using the University of Delaware(UDEL)monthly gridded air temperature dataset.The abrupt change years for air freezing index(AH)and ground surface freezing index(GH)were detected in 1999 and 2002,respectively,and for both air thawing index(ATI)and ground surface thawing index(GTI)were 2009.With the air temperature rising at a rate of 0.006℃ per year over 1900-2017,the AH and GH decreased at a rate of-0.1℃ d per year,while the ATI and GTI increased at rates of 0.3 and 0.5℃ d per year before the abrupt change year,respectively;all changing trends of freezing/thawing indices increased after the abrupt year,which was-2.9,-0.8,7.3,and 21.7℃ d per year for the AH,GFI,ATI,and GTI,respectively.We utilized the surface frost number model to obtain the dynamics of the frozen ground over the UBRB.When the empirical coefficient of E was assigned to 1.2,the simulated frozen ground occupied about 53.2%of the whole UBRB in the 1990s,which agreed well with the existing permafrost map published in 1996.The area of frozen ground accounts for 51.5%-54.5%of the UBRB during 1900-2017.This result may facilitate further studies of the multi-interactions among the frozen ground and relevant eco-environment,such as the air-ground surface energy exchange,hydrological cycles,and changes of the active layer thickness over the UBRB.
基金This study is financially supported by the program of National Natural Science Foundation of China(41401081,41871052,41771074)Joint Key Program of NSFC‒Heilongjiang Province for Regional Development(U20A2082)the Research Project of the State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering(SKLFSE-ZT-41,SKLFSE-ZY-20).
文摘The Nanwenghe Wetlands Reserve in the Yile'huli Mountains is a representative region of the Xing'an permafrost.The response of permafrost to climate change remains unclear due to limited field investigations.Thus,longer-term responses of the ground thermal state to climate change since 2011 have been monitored at four sites with varied surface characteristics:Carex tato wetland(P1)and shrub-C.tato wetland(P2)with a multi-year average temperatures at the depth of zero annual amplitude(T_(ZAA))of−0.52 and−1.19℃,respectively;Betula platyphylla-Larix gmelinii(Rupr.)Kuzen mixed forest(P3)with T_(ZAA) of 0.17℃,and;the forest of L.gmelinii(Rupr.)Kuzen(P4)with T_(ZAA) of 1.65℃.Continuous observations demonstrate that the ecosystem-protected Xing'an permafrost experienced a cooling under a warming climate.The temperature at the top of permafrost(TTOP)rose(1.8℃ per decade)but the TZAA declined(−0.14℃ per decade),while the active layer thickness(ALT)thinned from 0.9 m in 2012 to 0.8 m in 2014 at P1.Both the TTOP and TZAA increased(0.89 and 0.06℃ per decade,respectively),but the ALT thinned from 1.4 m in 2012 to 0.7 m in 2016 at P2.Vertically detached permafrost at P3 disappeared in summer 2012,with warming rates of+0.42 and+0.17℃ per decade for TTOP and T_(ZAA),respectively.However,up to date,the ground thermal state has remained stable at P4.We conclude that the thermal offset is crucial for the preservation and persistence of the Xing'an permafrost at the southern fringe.
