1.Introduction Amplified climate warming and wetting have been observed in the Boreal and Arctic zones(BAZs).Due to extensive and persistent warming of the climate and the increasing impacts of human activities,we are...1.Introduction Amplified climate warming and wetting have been observed in the Boreal and Arctic zones(BAZs).Due to extensive and persistent warming of the climate and the increasing impacts of human activities,we are seeing degradation of the permafrost and rapid shrinkage of the snow cover in the BAZs.Much attention has been paid to the reconstruction of past permafrost and monitoring,mapping and evaluation of permafrost and snow cover,and the use of models to predict and evaluate future gradual permafrost changes.Little attention,however,has been given to the rapidly changing permafrost and the associated implications.This may have led to an underestimation of the rapid changes in the cryolithozone and their effects on the climate,ecosystems,and hydrology systems and on humans.In particular,natural resources and environmental management in northern countries requires better and more systematic understanding of the history,processes,mechanisms and trends of the northern cryosphere and their environmental and engineering impacts.展开更多
基金the Chinese Academy of Sciences Strategic Priority Research Program(XDA20100103)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China Key R&D Program(2017YFC0405704).
文摘1.Introduction Amplified climate warming and wetting have been observed in the Boreal and Arctic zones(BAZs).Due to extensive and persistent warming of the climate and the increasing impacts of human activities,we are seeing degradation of the permafrost and rapid shrinkage of the snow cover in the BAZs.Much attention has been paid to the reconstruction of past permafrost and monitoring,mapping and evaluation of permafrost and snow cover,and the use of models to predict and evaluate future gradual permafrost changes.Little attention,however,has been given to the rapidly changing permafrost and the associated implications.This may have led to an underestimation of the rapid changes in the cryolithozone and their effects on the climate,ecosystems,and hydrology systems and on humans.In particular,natural resources and environmental management in northern countries requires better and more systematic understanding of the history,processes,mechanisms and trends of the northern cryosphere and their environmental and engineering impacts.