Changes in permafrost environments caused by construction and maintenance of Qinghai-Tibet Highway

The sideward permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (QTH) contains massive ground-ice and is at a relatively high temperature.Under the influence of the steady increase of human activities,the permafrost environment has been changed greatly for a long time.At present,the permafrost becomes warm and rapidly degenerates,including the decline of the permafrost table,rising of the ground temperature,shortening of the length of frozen section,and extension of range of melting region.Some thaw hazards (e.g.thaw slumping and thermokarst pond) have widely occurred along both sides of the roadbed.In addition,due to the incomplete construction management,the vegetation adjacent to the highway is seriously damaged or eradicated,resulting in the land desertification and ecosystem out of balance.The dust,waste and garbage brought by drivers,passengers,maintenance workers,and transportations may also pollute the permafrost environment.

The status evaluation of the permafrost environment along the Chaida'er-Muli Railway in southern Qilian Mountains in northern Qinghai Province,China

Engineering construction has major influence on the permafrost environment.This paper analyzes the interaction between engineering construction and permafrost environment along the Chaidaer-Muli Railway(simply,CMR) based on the press-state-response(PSR) framework.The permafrost environmental system is divided into three subsystems,consisting of permafrost thermal stability,proneness to the freeze-thawing erosion and permafrost ecological fragility.Each subsystem considers its most important influencing factors.Catastrophe Progression Method(CPM) is applied to calculate the current environment condition along the railway.The result indicates that:(1) as far as the thermal stability is concerned,most sections along the CMR are mainly concentrated in rank Ⅲ(fair situation),and a few in Ⅱ(good situation) and Ⅳ(bad situation),respectively;(2) for the proneness tothe freeze-thawing erosion,the entire railway route falls largely in rank Ⅱ(good situation);(3) along the CMR,the ecological fragility of the permafrost environment is in rank Ⅱ(good situation),or slightly fragile;(4) overall,the permafrost environments along the CMR are in rank Ⅲ(fair situation) or Ⅱcondition(good situation).In general,the permafrost environment along the CMR is fair.It is mainly because a series of active measures of protecting permafrost were taken for stabilizing the CMR foundation soils.On the one hand,we should try our best to minimize the influences that engineering activities have exerted on ecology and environment,on the other hand,the positive measures have made improvements to prevent the permafrost environment from deterioration.

Permafrost environment monitoring on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using time series ASAR images

The permafrost in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)has long been the focus of many researchers.In this study,we first use the method that integrates synthetic aperture radar(SAR)intensity and phase information to monitor permafrost environment in the Beiluhe Region,using time series advanced SAR images.The backscattering coefficients(σ^(0))and deformation were extracted for the main features,and the influences of meteorological conditions to them were also quantified.The results show that both the change inσ^(0)and surface deformation are closely related to the active layer,and the deformation is also affected by the permafrost table.First,over meadow and sparse vegetation regions,σ^(0)rose about 6.9 and 4 dB from the freezing to thawing period,respectively,which can be mainly attributed to the thaw of the active layer and increased precipitation.Second,seasonal deformation,derived from the freeze-thaw cycle of the active layer,was characteristic of frost heave and thaw settlement and exhibited a negative correlation with air temperature.Its magnitude was larger than 1 cm in a seasonal cycle.Last,significant secular settlement was observed,with rates ranging from-16 to 2 mm/a,and it was primarily due to the thaw of the permafrost table caused by climate warming.

PERMAFROST CHANGES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ALONG THE QINGHAI－XIZANG HIGHWAY

The Environment of permafrost region along Qinghai-Xizang highway has been interfered and damaged seriously during the last years by mankind economic activities. Permafrost under the roadbed has been degenerated obviously. Tank range has been extended gradually and original natural environment around it has been damaged. The mileages of highway crossing the permafrost region today are shortened 18km than that of the 70's. In this paper, according to ice content, class of permafrost. relief and landforms etc., permafrost region along the highway and comprehensive evaluation zonation have been made. And specific measures for protecting the permafrost environment has been put forward.

孢粉记录的晚全新世以来大兴安岭北部多年冻土泥炭地演化及其影响因素

当前泥炭所揭示的区域古植被、古气候与环境变化相关工作已广泛开展,然而对于泥炭地本身演化的研究却很少涉及,尤其是对于大兴安岭北部多年冻土泥炭地演化及其影响因素仍不清晰,阻碍了人们对这一特殊类型泥炭地历史动态和未来发展趋势的认知。为此基于大兴安岭北部多年冻土泥炭岩芯孢粉证据,利用AMS14C测年技术,重建了区域3500 cal a BP以来植被与气候历史,并与其他古气候指标进行对比,从而揭示区域泥炭地演化及其影响因素。结果表明:3500—2900 cal a BP植被以松属、喜暖乔木及水龙骨科为主,气候温暖湿润成为泥炭孕育期;2900—2250 cal a BP植被以松属、喜暖乔木及蒿属为主,气候温暖潮湿成为泥炭发育启动期;2250—1650 cal a BP植被以松属、桦属及水龙骨科为主,气候寒冷湿润成为泥炭发育旺盛期;1650—1150 cal a BP植被以松属和蒿属为主,气候寒冷干燥成为泥炭发育减缓和停滞期;1150—750 cal a BP阔叶林和湿地植被扩张,气候温暖湿润成为泥炭发育再次启动期,完成由富营养沼泽到中营养沼泽类型的转变;750 cal a BP至今植被以松属、桤木属及莎草科为主,气候寒冷湿润成为泥炭发育再次旺盛期,中营养沼泽开始向贫营养沼泽类型过渡。造成多年冻土泥炭地演化的主导因素并不是地质地貌变动和人类活动,而是来自气候变化及其驱动下多年冻土环境的改变,因此气候变化才是影响多年冻土泥炭地演化的主动力,未来多年冻土泥炭地变化取决于全球气候的发展。

太阳能制冷技术在多年冻土区的研究及应用

全球气候变暖趋势下,多年冻土地基的赋存环境发生变化,导致多年冻土区路基的下沉现象较为普遍,为保证多年冻土地基的稳定,急需新型技术以应对带来的多年冻土工程稳定性挑战。该文重点介绍太阳能吸附式制冷在维护多年冻土中的机理及作用,通过分析青藏高原丰富的太阳能资源,探讨太阳能吸附式制冷在保护多年冻土地基热稳定中的潜力。研究结果表明,太阳能吸附式制冷技术在多年冻土区能够充分利用丰富的太阳光照作为热源动力,实现持续制冷,有效保护冻土地基。该文还讨论太阳能热棒技术的现状和未来发展方向,指出其作为一种环保、节能的制冷方式,在应对全球气候变暖和保护寒区工程热稳定方面具有广阔的应用前景。

Evolution and changes of permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the Late Quaternary

Due to the uplift of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau （QTP）, the cryosphere gradually developed on the higher mountain summits after the Neocene, becoming widespread during the Late Quaternary. During this time, permafrost on the QTP experienced repeated expansion and degradation. Based on the remains and cross-correlation with other proxy records such as those from glacial landforms, ice-core and paleogeography, the evolution and changes of permafrost and environmental changes on the QTP during the past 150,000 years were deduced and are presented in this paper.At least four obvious cycles of the extensive and intensive development, expansion and decay of permafrost occurred during the periods of 150-130, 80-50, 30-14 and after 10.8 ka B.P.. Ehiring the Holocene, fluctuating climatic environ-ments affected the permafrost on the QTP, and the peripheral mountains experienced six periods of discernible permafrost changes： （1） Stable development of permafrost in the early Holocene （10.8 to 8.5-7.0 ka B.P.）; （2） Intensive permafrost degradation during the Holocene Megathermal Period （HMP, from 8.5-7.0 to 4.0-3.0 ka B.P.）; （3） Permafrost expansion during the early Neoglacial period （ca. 4,000-3,000 to 1,000 a B.P.）; （4） Relative degradation during the Medieval Warm Period （MWP,from 1,000 to 500 a B.R）; （5） Expansion of permafrost during the Little Ice Age （LIA,from 500 to 10.a B.P.）; （6） Observed and predicted degradation of permafrost during the 20th and 21st century. Each period differed greatly in paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and permafrost distribution, thickness, areal extent, and ground temperatures, as well as in the development of periglacial phenomena. Statistically, closer dating of the onset permafrost formation, more identi-fication of permafrost remains with richer proxy information about paleoenvironment, and more dating information enable higher resolution for paleo-permafrost reconstruction. Based on the scenarios of persistent climate warming of 2 2 -2 .6 °C in the next 50 years, and in combination of the monitored trends of climate and permafrost changes, and model predictions suggest an accelerated regional degradation of plateau pemafrost. Therefore,during the first half of the 21st century, profound changes in the stability of alpine ecosystems and hydro（geo）logical environments in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers may occur. The foundation stability of key engineering infrastructures and sustainable eco-nomic development in cold regions on the QTP may be affected.

气候变化下长江源土壤水时空演化及其环境响应

气候变化下,长江源区生态环境和水文循环出现了显著改变。土壤水是水文循环的重要组成部分,正确认识土壤水时空分布规律及其环境响应机制是深入理解长江源区水文循环和生态环境变化的基础。以地面原位观测数据为基础,利用欧洲航天局最新开发的长时间序列和多传感器组合的全球土壤体积含水量数据集(ESA CCI SM V07.1)揭示了长江源区地表土壤水的时空演化规律,探讨了构造作用和冻土类型对土壤水的影响机制。结果表明:(1)长江源地表土壤体积含水量主要集中在0.15~0.20 m^(3)/m^(3)之间,在6—10月处于全年最高值;(2)在垂向上,由表层到深部土壤体积含水量主要呈现出增大-减小-稳定趋势,深部土壤水相对表层有明显的滞后特征,滞后时间一般为1~2个月;(3)在平面上,地表土壤体积含水量整体呈现东南高,并向西北逐渐递减的趋势。越临近构造断裂带,土壤体积含水量越低,且随深度增加呈现出一定的加剧趋势;(4)多年冻土区的地表土壤体积含水量相比邻近区域的季节性冻土区域高,季节性冻土区的地表土壤体积含水量波动变化幅度小于多年冻土区;(5)近40 a来,地表冻土有逐渐融化趋势,2000年后冻土融化加剧,地表土壤体积含水量增加明显。研究成果对于深入理解长江源区水文循环和生态环境的变化具有重要理论意义,可为长江源区水文循环和水资源管理提供参考依据。

Thermal and hydrological processes in permafrost slope wetlands affect thermosyphon embankment stability

To ensure the long-term service performance of infrastructure such as railways,highways,airports and oil pipelines built on permafrost slope wetland sites,it is imperative to systematically uncover the long-term heat-water changes of soil in slope wetlands environment under climate warming.More specifically,considering valuable field data from 2001 to 2019,the long-term heat and water changes in active layers of the slope wetland site along the Qinghai-Xizang Railway(QXR)are illustrated,the effect of thermosyphon measures in protecting the permafrost environment is evaluated,and the influences of climate warming and hydrological effects on the stability of slope wetland embankments are systematically discussed.The permafrost at the slope wetland site is rapidly degrading,demonstrating a reduction in active layer thickness of>3.7 cm per year and a permafrost temperature warming of>0.006℃ per year.The thermosiphon embankment developed by QXR has a specific cooling period;thus,to mitigate the long-term impacts of climate warming on the thermal stability of permafrost foundation,it is essential to implement strengthening measures for the thermosiphon embankment,such as adding a crushed-rock layer or sunshade board on the slope of thermosiphon embankment to creating a composite cooling embankment.Short-term seasonal groundwater seepage intensifies frost damage to the slope wetland embankment,while long-term seasonal supra-permafrost water and groundwater seepage exacerbates uneven transverse deformation of slope wetland embankment.Long-term climate warming and slope effects have altered the surface water and groundwater hydrological processes of slope wetlands,potentially leading to an increased occurrence of slope embankment instability.These results are crucial for improving our understanding of heat and water variation processes in the active layer of slope wetland sites located in permafrost regions and ensuring long-term service safety for the QXR.

多年冻土区土壤中汞的研究进展

汞污染是当前重要的全球性环境问题。在气候变暖的背景下,多年冻土退化能够显著改变土壤环境和水热过程,进而可引发土壤中汞的活化和大量释放,对生态系统产生潜在的风险。本文综述了多年冻土区土壤总汞的浓度和储量、空间分布和影响因素,阐释了多年冻土不同退化过程中(活动层增厚和热喀斯特发育)土壤中汞的迁移转化和释放特征及其环境效应。北半球多年冻土区土壤总汞储量为597 Gg(384~750 Gg),植被吸收作用驱动的大气单质汞[Hg(0)]沉降是土壤中汞的重要来源。多年冻土区土壤中总汞含量和空间分布主要受大气汞沉降、有机质含量和沉降后过程(如淋溶作用)的影响。多年冻土退化不仅能够向大气和水生生态系统释放大量的汞,还可增强微生物甲基化作用生成剧毒的甲基汞(MeHg),已经对全球汞循环及区域环境产生了重要影响,且这一影响在持续加强。未来研究中需结合汞同位素等多技术手段,追踪多年冻土融水径流中汞的迁移转化和传输过程;强化热喀斯特对汞释放的影响研究;结合野外原位观测与模型模拟,全面评估多年冻土退化对土壤汞迁移转化的影响及其环境效应。

气候变化对中国多年冻土和寒区环境的影响

中国的多年冻土总面积为 2 .1 5× 1 0 6 km2 ,主要分布在高海拔地区。 40年来 ,随寒区经济的快速发展和资源、环境问题的日益突出 ,冻土和寒区气候变化研究获得了长足的进展。我国大部分地区的多年冻土退缩趋势明显。 2 1世纪 ,受气候变暖和人为活动的共同影响 ,青藏高原和东北地区北部多年冻土将大幅退缩。冻土广泛退缩将对中国的寒区经济和环境产生重要影响。但是 ,冻土退缩及其对环境的影响还存在很大的不确定性。

寒区线性工程沿线冻土区的植被恢复

寒区油气管道、公路、铁路等线性工程占地、建设和开挖对沿线寒区生态环境是一个切割、破碎的过程,对自然植被和下伏冻土造成了很大的扰动.管道泄露引发的油污还可引起植被的退化和死亡.植被覆盖层破坏后改变了原有的地气界面之间的水、热交换条件和力学性质,反过来又可加速引发下伏冻土和线性工程地基的退化.基于保护线性工程地基及下伏冻土的目的,同时顺应环境保护的要求,目前就寒区线性工程的植被恢复问题已经有许多探索和实践.当前,寒区植被恢复注重最低限度的人为介入干预下的自然恢复,根据线性工程沿线土壤、湿度、营养条件、物种分布和丰度,视具体情况选择物种,确定建植方法.阿拉斯加管道和青藏铁路植被恢复上的经验和方法,可为拟建的冻土区中俄输油管道项目沿线的植被恢复问题提供科学的参考和借鉴.

黄河源区多年冻土退化及其环境反映

基于黄河源区多年冻土退化引起的生态环境地质问题与效应的实际资料,明确了多年冻土的生态环境功能和多年冻土退化引起的危害.提出多年冻土退化使赋存于高寒草地和维系高寒草地生长发育的多年冻土表部的冻结层地下水水位持续下降或消失,从而引发和加剧了高寒草地的"三化"(草地退化、沙漠化和盐渍化)和水环境变异,是导致黄河源区占主导地位的高寒草甸失水向沙漠化草地和"黑土滩"型次生裸地退化的主要地质原因.

青藏高原地气温度之间的关系

应用多元线性回归分析方法,对位于40°～25°N,75°～102°E范围内的119个气象观测台站的1991-2000年平均气温和地面温度观测资料进行分析,获得了研究区域的月平均气温、地面温度与纬度、经度和海拔高度间关系的线性统计系数.统计结果和实测资料的比较以及统计分析的相关系数结果表明,高原地区的气温、地面温度和它的年较差与经度、纬度及海拔高度具有很好的相关性.应用曲线拟合方法将所得统计分析系数拟合成时间函数,就可将高原地区的气温和地面温度表示成统一的空间坐标和时间的函数.如果将已验证的1991-2000年平均地面温度与气温差统计结果作为气温与地面温度间关系的实验结果,那么,就可以解决长期困扰多年冻土预报研究中在任意已知时间和空间点上气温条件下,难以确定影响多年冻土温度状况变化上边界条件的变化这一难题.这一结果对于目前正在进行的青藏铁路冻土工程和环境预报研究具有重要意义.

中俄输油管道(漠河—乌尔其段)沿线冻土环境影响评价

中俄输油管道漠河—乌尔其段长约441km,南北向纵贯整个大兴安岭多年冻土区,该区处于欧亚大陆冻土区东南边缘,冻土总体厚度较薄、温度较高、稳定性较低,易受外界因素干扰。本文根据多年冻土的区域分布规律及分布的连续程度,并考虑地温、冻土厚度、植被变化等特征将管道沿线分成4个冻土亚区。在此基础上分析了多年冻土类别特征、多年冻土在地形地貌上的分布规律、冻土工程性质、地表植被、冷生现象等标识性指标之间的相互依存关系,提出了适应于中俄管道沿线多年冻土区的地表稳定型多年冻土环境评价方法。并利用此方法对沿线各个冻土亚区不同地表稳定型的冻土区段进行了统计分析。

青藏铁路沿线多年冻土分布特征及其对环境变化的响应

针对青藏高原特殊的自然气候条件,按照地形、地貌把青藏铁路沿线多年冻土分为15个区段,并分别介绍了各个区段多年冻土特征.结果表明:在外界环境变化,包括全球气候变暖及工程活动的双重效应下,青藏铁路沿线多年冻土及其存在状态发生了极大变化,这些变化主要包括年平均气温升高、多年冻土退化、热融灾害增加、寒区工程病害不断加剧等.多年冻土及其存在状态发生变化不但导致生态环境恶化,而且对青藏铁路沿寒区工程的安全运营、维护及发展提出新的挑战.

东北多年冻土退化及环境效应研究现状与展望

东北多年冻土属中高纬度多年冻土,对气候变化非常敏感。数据模型模拟表明,21世纪东北多年冻土区气温会持续上升,显著的变暖将导致多年冻土退化。东北多年冻土呈现自南向北的区域性退化趋势,多年冻土区南部表现为南界的北移、融区的扩大和多年冻土的消失,而北部表现为多年冻土下限的上移、活动层厚度增大及地温升高等。多年冻土的退化会导致寒区生态环境的恶化,如兴安落叶松占绝对优势的天然林带锐减,林带北移,沼泽湿地萎缩等。随着多年冻土的迅速退缩和变薄,原多年冻土中蕴藏的碳将释放出来,对气候变化产生积极的正反馈,加速变暖,并影响全球碳循环。多年冻土退化导致其热状态失稳而造成寒区基础设施损坏,并且影响冻土微生物、碳循环、寒区生态和水文等,而它们是区域气候变化的重要因子,也将成为未来多年冻土研究的重点。而这些研究都需要长期的基础数据作支撑,因此需要进一步完善冻土参数监测网络,用模型厘清气候变化与多年冻土退化及其环境效应之间的关系。

青藏高原多年冻土区高寒草地生物量与环境因子关系的初步分析

以青藏高原多年冻土区3种高寒草地植被为研究对象,设置6个样地,并结合附近活动层观测场环境因子数据,定量分析生物量与环境因子的关系.结果表明,各高寒草地地下生物量对总生物量的贡献率最大,而地下生物量在0～10cm集中分布;对于总生物量和地下生物量,各因子影响程度大小次序为:土壤盐分>土壤含水量>空气温度,而对地上生物量,依次为土壤含水量>土壤盐分>空气温度;土壤温度同生物量存在负相关关系.同时,伴随多年冻土退化,活动层表层不同深度(10～50cm)土壤温度明显升高,含水量逐渐降低,土壤盐分不断增加,从而使高寒草地植被类型出现由高寒沼泽草甸、高寒草甸至高寒草原的逆向演替过程,群落总盖度及生物量均表现出明显降低的趋势.

青藏公路南段岛状冻土区内冻土环境变化

将９０年代的勘探、钻孔测温和地面综合调查等实测资料与７０年代对比，发现青藏公路南段岛状多年冻土区内的冻土退化和生态环境变化相当明显。表现为岛状多年冻土南界北移１２ｋｍ，多年冻土岛总面积减少７％。沼泽化湿地面积缩小约三分之一，沼泽化草甸向草原化草甸逐步转化，湖塘和洼地中的水生植物群落向湿、中生植物群落演替。草场退化严重，少数地段土地沙化，形成活动性砂丘，目前区内的生态环境正向劣势方面发展。

青藏高原多年冻土区地下水及其变化

青藏高原的高海拔多年冻土的分布格局及其动态变化、季节冻结融化作用与地下水的补给、径流和排泄关系密切,对各种尺度的水文地质环境具有控制或重要影响。作为一个隔水层或弱透水层,冻土层在地下水形成、演化、运移和水动力过程方面具有抑制作用,从而对地下水的分布、动态和水循环产生重要影响。而且,冻土可通过其中的水分迁移、冰分凝和地下冰结构重组等方式,形成和改变地下冰储量及地下水动静储量,调节水文地质循环。气候变暖显著和人类活动日益增加,冻土退化显著,已经普遍影响到了高原冻土生态水文地质环境,并引发了一系列水文(地质)、生态和环境问题,亟待系统、长期和细致的观测、试验和模型研究。