Viral Communities Locked in High Elevation Permafrost Up to 100 M in Depth on the Tibetan Plateau
Wen QianXiufeng YinAbulimiti MomingGuangyue LiuBoyong JiangJun WangZhaojun FanWasim SajjadYingying GeShichang KangShu Zhong ShenFēi Dèng
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Elevation (ballistics)
Abstract Geomorphological observations, geoelectrical soundings and photogrammetric measurements of surface movement on the Muragl glacier forefield were used to obtain an integrative analysis of a highly complex glacial and periglacial landform consisting of a push moraine, creeping permafrost and permafrost‐free glacial till in close proximity. Electrical resistivity tomography is considered as an important multifunctional geophysical method for research in periglacial permafrost related environments. Joint application with measurements of surface displacements offers a promising tool for investigating periglacial landforms related to ice‐rich permafrost for a more comprehensive characterization of permafrost characteristics and geomorphological interpretation of periglacial morphodynamics. The patchy permafrost distribution pattern described in this paper is determined by several factors, including the sediment characteristics, the snow cover distribution and duration, the aspect and the former glacier distribution and thermal regime. Recent and modern permafrost dynamics within the glacier forefield comprise aggradation, degradation and permafrost creep. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Landform
Glacial landform
Rock glacier
Electrical Resistivity Tomography
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Based on RS and GIS technology,remote sensing images including MSS,TM,ETM and topographic maps are visual interpreted to get the areas,positions and changes of the lakes with the area above 10 km2in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 1970s,1990s,2000s and 2010s,respectively. The patterns and trends of lake area changes are analyzed in the respects of regions,area scales and altitude scopes,respectively. Meanwhile,combining with the climate change of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the period of 1972-2011,the main reasons of the lake area changes are discussed. The main conclusions are as follows:( 1) There are 417 lakes with area above 10 km2in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Most of these lakes have an area less than 100 km2and most of them are located in the western region. Seen from the altitude distribution,most of them were concentrated in the range of 4500-5000 m above sea level.( 2) In recent 40 years,the increasing numbers and the areas of these lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau present an evident expansion pattern,with more evident expanding in the period of 2000s-2010s. As for the regional differences,the changes of these lakes in the eastern and southern regions are slighter than those in the northern and western regions. Small lakes with the area less than 100 km2had larger changes. Lakes with the altitude below 4000 m above sea level had larger changes.( 3) The climate of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau presented a warmer and more humid tendency in recent 40 years. It is obviously that climate change has a significant influence on lake area changes. According to the analyses,precipitation change seems to be the main reason of lake area changes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Qinghai lake
Low altitude
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Active layer
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The Qiangtang Plateau, an area of 5.97 × 105 km2, is located in a remote area of the Tibetan Plateau. It is the highest and largest flat area in Tibet, with an average elevation over 5000 m, but relief of only a few hundred meters. The Qiangtang Plateau has great potential for physical geography research. It is very cold and dry, with strong prevailing westerly winds. It has an extensive inland water system with the greatest number of plateau glaciers in the world, and the largest lake area in Tibet. Many rivers on the plateau are sourced by glaciers and drain to inland lakes. River valleys are shallow owing to weak fluvial downcutting and the glacial landforms are small in comparison with those in the surrounding mountains. Lake terraces and sand ridges are widely present, owing to water-level oscillations in the past. Unique species of plants and animals live in this arid land, despite the thin soil and sparse vegetation. To date, none of these features have been well studied, providing a unique opportunity for scientific exploration.
Landform
Elevation (ballistics)
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Permafrost is one of the two major geological environments for gas hydrate occurrences. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has a mean altitude over 4000m and the permafrost area is about 1.4×106km2. Based on the thickness of permafrost and the geothermal gradient in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau permafrost, the occurrence and distribution of gas hydrate in permafrost were predicted by using the thermodynamic method based on the temperature and pressure of natural gas hydrate formation. The thermodynamic phase equilibrium for both thermogenic and biogenic gas hydrates in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau permafrost implies that the gas hydrate is accumulated within the stable zone whose top boundary is buried at ca. 27~560m and bottom boundary is buried at ca. 27~2070m. The potential of natural gas resources as caged in hydrates in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau permafrost is estimated at about 1.2×1011 ~ 2.4 × 1014m3. Gas hydrate is propitious to occur where permafrost is thicker and geothermal gradient is lower in Tibet Plateau permafrost. The seasonal change of air temperature in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau affects only sediments within a depth of ca. 10m and would not affect gas hydrates that are buried below 30m. On the global warming, the gas hydrates in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau would be unstable. Similar to the degradation of permafrost, the distribution area of gas hydrates will be gradually reduced with the lowering of the top boundary and the rising of the bottom boundary, and the gas hydrates will finally vanish in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau permafrost.
Clathrate hydrate
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The Qinghai-Xizang plateau have been attracting more and more interest from different parts of the world, because of the particular geographic location, huge horizontal scale, vertical elevation and its great effects on the global climate change. However, up to now, there have not been an accurately calculation and systematic analysis of the eleva- tion of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau Surface and its distribution. Based on the SRTM3-DEM data and the technique of spatial analysis in GIS, the elevation of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau Surface and its distribution are calculated and ana- lyzed. It suggests that the main part of the Plateau Surface distributes in the range of 4400 - 5300 m.a.s.l and with a cen- ter elevation of 4950 m.a.s.l. And it is concluded that the grid unit of 13 × 13 (1.37 km 2 ) is the optimum statistical unit for calculating the relief amplitude in Tibet Plateau by using SRTM3-DEM.
Elevation (ballistics)
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Abstract The areas studied display a rich periglacial geomorphology. The effects of seasonal and perennial ground frost are visible in the form of widespread solifluction phenomena, patterned ground and numerous rock glaciers. Soil and rock temperatures have been recorded, and permafrost distribution has been partly checked in selected areas with measurements of the basal snow temperature, and using geoelectrical and hammer seismic soundings. Permafrost is widespread on northerly exposed slopes, with a thickness of several decametres at 3100m a.s.1. Below 2800 m a.s.1. patchy permafrost occurs. A model for vertical permafrost distribution is presented and an altitude of 3500 m a.s.1. is suggested for the lower limit of continuous permafrost. As a result of aspect, soil and rock temperature fluctuations are different on northern and southern slopes. This induces differences in vegetation cover, debris production and geomorphological processes.
Solifluction
Rock glacier
Frost weathering
Frost heaving
Frost (temperature)
Snowmelt
Soil cover
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Technology measures and engineering techniques for the bridge works in the high and cold regions of the Tibetan Plateau are presented in this paper,which are based on practice and theoretical analyses,analyzing various kinds of circumstances of the plateau,such as high altitude,oxygen lacking,very low temperature and complicated climate,and considering the particularity and complexity of permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet railway.In permafrost regions of the plateau,the bridge works will change the temperature field,stress field in permafrost and the exchanges of water and heat within permafrost.So,to select a reasonable work season and construction method,and to adopt some compulsory engineering techniques are necessary for reducing heat disturbance in the permafrost regions.
Bridge (graph theory)
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Abstract Permafrost covers a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere, including high-altitude mountainous areas and even at mid-latitudes. There is concern that the thawing of mountain permafrost can cause slope instability and substantially impact alpine ecosystems, and because permafrost in mountainous areas is difficult to observe, detailed analyses have not been performed on its current distribution and future changes. Although previous studies have observed permafrost only at a limited number of points in Japan (e.g., Daisetsu Mountains, Mt. Fuji, and Mt. Tateyama in the Northern Japan Alps), we show that permafrost potentially exists in nine domains in Japan (Daisetsu Mountains, Mt. Fuji, Northern and Southern Japan Alps, Hidaka Mountains, Mt. Shiretokodake, Sharidake, Akandake, and Yotei). In the Daisetsu Mountains and Mt. Fuji, the environmental conditions required for maintaining at least some permafrost are projected to remain in the future if a decarbonized society is achieved (RCP2.6 or RCP4.5). However, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase (RCP8.5), the environmental conditions required for sustaining permafrost are projected to disappear in the second half of the twenty-first century. In other domains, the environmental conditions required for maintaining permafrost are either projected to disappear in the next ten years (Hidaka Mountains, Northern Japan Alps) or they have almost disappeared already (Southern Japan Alps, Mt. Shiretokodake, Sharidake, Akandake, and Yotei). Our projections show that climate change has a tremendous impact on Japan's mountain permafrost environment and suggests the importance of monitoring the mountain environment and considering measures for adapting to future climate change.
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Meltwater
Glacial lake
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