Articles | Volume 16, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2033-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2033-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description paper
| 
29 Apr 2024
Data description paper |
| 29 Apr 2024
| 29 Apr 2024
The first hillslope thermokarst inventory for the permafrost region of the Qilian Mountains
Xiaoqing Peng
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Observation and Research Station on Eco-Environment of Frozen Ground in the Qilian Mountains, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Guangshang Yang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Oliver W. Frauenfeld
Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-3147, USA
Xuanjia Li
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Weiwei Tian
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Guanqun Chen
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Yuan Huang
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Gang Wei
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Jing Luo
State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Cuicui Mu
Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Observation and Research Station on Eco-Environment of Frozen Ground in the Qilian Mountains, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Fujun Niu
State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
Related authors
Gang Wei, Xiaoqing Peng, Oliver W. Frauenfeld, Lajia Weisai, Chen Yang, Guanqun Chen, Panpan Wang, Gubu Qiumo, Hengxing Luo, Guangshang Yang, Xuanjia Li, and Cuicui Mu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2726, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2726, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
Climate warming is causing more landslides in thawing permafrost, endangering ecosystems and infrastructure. We created a new satellite-based method to detect hidden small landslides in China's Qilian Mountains with 93 % accuracy. Fast-moving areas (>10 mm/year) with seasonal changes proved most vulnerable. This approach helps safeguard infrastructure and enhance warnings in cold regions globally.
Cuicui Mu, Xiaoqing Peng, Ran Du, Hebin Liu, Haodong Jin, Benben Liang, Mei Mu, Wen Sun, Chenyan Fan, Xiaodong Wu, Oliver W. Frauenfeld, and Tingjun Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-347, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-347, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost warming lead to greenhouse gases release to the atmosphere, resulting in a positive feedback to climate change. But, there are some uncertainties for lacks of observations. Here, we summarized a long-term observations on the meteorological, permafrost, and carbon to publish. This datasets include 5 meteorological stations, 21 boreholes 12 active layer sites, and 10 soil organic carbon contents. These are important to study the response of frozen ground to climate change.
Xu Chen, Cuicui Mu, Lin Jia, Zhilong Li, Chengyan Fan, Mei Mu, Xiaoqing Peng, and Xiaodong Wu
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2020-378, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2020-378, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Thermokarst lakes have attracted significant attention because of their ability to regulate carbon cycle. Now, the distribution of thermokarst lakes on QTP remains largely unknown, hindering our understanding of the response of permafrost's carbon feedback to climate change. Here, based on the GEE platform, we examined the modern distribution (2018) of thermokarst lakes on the QTP using Sentinel-2A data. Results show that the total thermokarst lake area on the QTP is 1730.34 m2 km2.
Gang Wei, Xiaoqing Peng, Oliver W. Frauenfeld, Lajia Weisai, Chen Yang, Guanqun Chen, Panpan Wang, Gubu Qiumo, Hengxing Luo, Guangshang Yang, Xuanjia Li, and Cuicui Mu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2726, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2726, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
Short summary
Short summary
Climate warming is causing more landslides in thawing permafrost, endangering ecosystems and infrastructure. We created a new satellite-based method to detect hidden small landslides in China's Qilian Mountains with 93 % accuracy. Fast-moving areas (>10 mm/year) with seasonal changes proved most vulnerable. This approach helps safeguard infrastructure and enhance warnings in cold regions globally.
Xianmin Ke, Wei Wang, Fujun Niu, Zeyong Gao, Wenkang Huang, and Huake Cao
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-864, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-864, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Measurements of the permafrost distribution are often limited to seasonally frozen soil or permafrost at a few borehole locations, and the detection of deep permafrost and sublake taliks in the QTP has rarely been attempted. We used ERT, TEM, and ground temperature measurement (GTM) methods to investigate permafrost structure and sublake talik morphologies. We determined the current permafrost structure and found that permafrost below three thermokarst lakes has thawed completely.
Jianting Zhao, Lin Zhao, Zhe Sun, Fujun Niu, Guojie Hu, Defu Zou, Guangyue Liu, Erji Du, Chong Wang, Lingxiao Wang, Yongping Qiao, Jianzong Shi, Yuxin Zhang, Junqiang Gao, Yuanwei Wang, Yan Li, Wenjun Yu, Huayun Zhou, Zanpin Xing, Minxuan Xiao, Luhui Yin, and Shengfeng Wang
The Cryosphere, 16, 4823–4846, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4823-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4823-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost has been warming and thawing globally; this is especially true in boundary regions. We focus on the changes and variability in permafrost distribution and thermal dynamics in the northern limit of permafrost on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) by applying a new permafrost model. Unlike previous papers on this topic, our findings highlight a slow, decaying process in the response of permafrost in the QTP to a warming climate, especially regarding areal extent.
Cuicui Mu, Xiaoqing Peng, Ran Du, Hebin Liu, Haodong Jin, Benben Liang, Mei Mu, Wen Sun, Chenyan Fan, Xiaodong Wu, Oliver W. Frauenfeld, and Tingjun Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-347, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-347, 2022
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost warming lead to greenhouse gases release to the atmosphere, resulting in a positive feedback to climate change. But, there are some uncertainties for lacks of observations. Here, we summarized a long-term observations on the meteorological, permafrost, and carbon to publish. This datasets include 5 meteorological stations, 21 boreholes 12 active layer sites, and 10 soil organic carbon contents. These are important to study the response of frozen ground to climate change.
Zhuoxuan Xia, Lingcao Huang, Chengyan Fan, Shichao Jia, Zhanjun Lin, Lin Liu, Jing Luo, Fujun Niu, and Tingjun Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3875–3887, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3875-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3875-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Retrogressive thaw slumps are slope failures resulting from abrupt permafrost thaw, and are widely distributed along the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor. The potential damage to infrastructure and carbon emission of thaw slumps motivated us to obtain an inventory of thaw slumps. We used a semi-automatic method to map 875 thaw slumps, filling the knowledge gap of thaw slump locations and providing key benchmarks for analysing the distribution features and quantifying spatio-temporal changes.
Dong Wang, Tonghua Wu, Lin Zhao, Cuicui Mu, Ren Li, Xianhua Wei, Guojie Hu, Defu Zou, Xiaofan Zhu, Jie Chen, Junmin Hao, Jie Ni, Xiangfei Li, Wensi Ma, Amin Wen, Chengpeng Shang, Yune La, Xin Ma, and Xiaodong Wu
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 3453–3465, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3453-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-3453-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Third Pole regions are important components in the global permafrost, and the detailed spatial soil organic carbon data are the scientific basis for environmental protection as well as the development of Earth system models. Based on multiple environmental variables and soil profile data, this study use machine-learning approaches to evaluate the SOC storage and spatial distribution at a depth interval of 0–3 m in the frozen ground area of the Third Pole region.
Xu Chen, Cuicui Mu, Lin Jia, Zhilong Li, Chengyan Fan, Mei Mu, Xiaoqing Peng, and Xiaodong Wu
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2020-378, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2020-378, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Thermokarst lakes have attracted significant attention because of their ability to regulate carbon cycle. Now, the distribution of thermokarst lakes on QTP remains largely unknown, hindering our understanding of the response of permafrost's carbon feedback to climate change. Here, based on the GEE platform, we examined the modern distribution (2018) of thermokarst lakes on the QTP using Sentinel-2A data. Results show that the total thermokarst lake area on the QTP is 1730.34 m2 km2.
T. Qu, H. Zhang, F. Niu, X. Shi, and Z. Li
Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., XLIII-B3-2020, 887–891, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLIII-B3-2020-887-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-archives-XLIII-B3-2020-887-2020, 2020
Wenfeng Huang, Bin Cheng, Jinrong Zhang, Zheng Zhang, Timo Vihma, Zhijun Li, and Fujun Niu
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2173–2186, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2173-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2173-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Up to now, little has been known on ice thermodynamics and lake–atmosphere interaction over the Tibetan Plateau during ice-covered seasons due to a lack of field data. Here, model experiments on ice thermodynamics were conducted in a shallow lake using HIGHTSI. Water–ice heat flux was a major source of uncertainty for lake ice thickness. Heat and mass budgets were estimated within the vertical air–ice–water system. Strong ice sublimation occurred and was responsible for water loss during winter.
Related subject area
Domain: ESSD – Ice | Subject: Permafrost
Permafrost temperature baseline at 15 m depth on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (2010–2019)
Compilation and Analysis of Thaw Settlement Test Results: Implications for Prediction Tools and Stress-Strain Characterization in Permafrost
Rock Glacier Inventories (RoGI) in 12 areas worldwide using a multi-operator consensus-based procedure
Very high resolution aerial image orthomosaics, point clouds, and elevation datasets of select permafrost landscapes in Alaska and northwestern Canada
TPRoGI: a comprehensive rock glacier inventory for the Tibetan Plateau using deep learning
Multisource Synthesized Inventory of CRitical Infrastructure and HUman-Impacted Areas in AlaSka (SIRIUS)
An observational network of ground surface temperature under different land-cover types on the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Modern air, englacial and permafrost temperatures at high altitude on Mt Ortles (3905 m a.s.l.), in the eastern European Alps
A new 2010 permafrost distribution map over the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau based on subregion survey maps: a benchmark for regional permafrost modeling
Defu Zou, Lin Zhao, Guojie Hu, Erji Du, Guangyue Liu, Chong Wang, and Wangping Li
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 1731–1742, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1731-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1731-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides baseline data of permafrost temperature at 15 m depth on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) over the period 2010–2019 at a spatial resolution of nearly 1 km, using 231 borehole records and a machine learning method. The average MAGT15 m of the QTP permafrost was −1.85 °C, with 90 % of the values ranging from −5.1 to −0.1 °C and 51.2 % exceeding −1.5 °C. The data can serve as a crucial boundary condition for deeper permafrost assessments and a reference for model simulations.
Zakieh Mohammadi and Jocelyn L. Hayley
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-514, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-514, 2025
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
This study aims to enhance understanding of thaw settlement, a common issue caused by climate change that impacts infrastructures on permafrost. A comprehensive dataset of thaw settlement test results was compiled from existing literature. The dataset was used to compare thaw settlement properties across various soil types and to evaluate empirical tools commonly used for predicting thaw settlement, identifying the most accurate methods.
Line Rouyet, Tobias Bolch, Francesco Brardinoni, Rafael Caduff, Diego Cusicanqui, Margaret Darrow, Reynald Delaloye, Thomas Echelard, Christophe Lambiel, Lucas Ruiz, Lea Schmid, Flavius Sirbu, and Tazio Strozzi
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-598, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-598, 2025
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
Rock glaciers are landforms generated by the creep of frozen ground (permafrost) in cold-climate mountains. Mapping rock glaciers contributes to document the distribution and the dynamics of mountain permafrost. We compiled inventories documenting the location, the characteristics, and the extent of rock glaciers in 12 mountain regions around the world. In each region, a team of operators performed the work following common rules and agreed on final solutions when discrepancies were identified.
Tabea Rettelbach, Ingmar Nitze, Inge Grünberg, Jennika Hammar, Simon Schäffler, Daniel Hein, Matthias Gessner, Tilman Bucher, Jörg Brauchle, Jörg Hartmann, Torsten Sachs, Julia Boike, and Guido Grosse
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 5767–5798, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5767-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5767-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost landscapes in the Arctic are rapidly changing due to climate warming. Here, we publish aerial images and elevation models with very high spatial detail that help study these landscapes in northwestern Canada and Alaska. The images were collected using the Modular Aerial Camera System (MACS). This dataset has significant implications for understanding permafrost landscape dynamics in response to climate change. It is publicly available for further research.
Zhangyu Sun, Yan Hu, Adina Racoviteanu, Lin Liu, Stephan Harrison, Xiaowen Wang, Jiaxin Cai, Xin Guo, Yujun He, and Hailun Yuan
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 5703–5721, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5703-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5703-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We propose a new dataset, TPRoGI (v1.0), encompassing rock glaciers in the entire Tibetan Plateau. We used a neural network, DeepLabv3+, and images from Planet Basemaps. The inventory identified 44 273 rock glaciers, covering 6 000 km2, mainly at elevations of 4000 to 5500 m a.s.l. The dataset, with details on distribution and characteristics, aids in understanding permafrost distribution, mountain hydrology, and climate impacts in High Mountain Asia, filling a knowledge gap.
Soraya Kaiser, Julia Boike, Guido Grosse, and Moritz Langer
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 3719–3753, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3719-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3719-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Arctic warming, leading to permafrost degradation, poses primary threats to infrastructure and secondary ecological hazards from possible infrastructure failure. Our study created a comprehensive Alaska inventory combining various data sources with which we improved infrastructure classification and data on contaminated sites. This resource is presented as a GeoPackage allowing planning of infrastructure damage and possible implications for Arctic communities facing permafrost challenges.
Raul-David Şerban, Huijun Jin, Mihaela Şerban, Giacomo Bertoldi, Dongliang Luo, Qingfeng Wang, Qiang Ma, Ruixia He, Xiaoying Jin, Xinze Li, Jianjun Tang, and Hongwei Wang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1425–1446, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1425-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1425-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A particular observational network for ground surface temperature (GST) has been established on the northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, covering various environmental conditions and scales. This analysis revealed the substantial influences of the land cover on the spatial variability in GST over short distances (<16 m). Improving the monitoring of GST is important for the biophysical processes at the land–atmosphere boundary and for understanding the climate change impacts on cold environments.
Luca Carturan, Fabrizio De Blasi, Roberto Dinale, Gianfranco Dragà, Paolo Gabrielli, Volkmar Mair, Roberto Seppi, David Tonidandel, Thomas Zanoner, Tiziana Lazzarina Zendrini, and Giancarlo Dalla Fontana
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 4661–4688, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4661-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4661-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents a new dataset of air, englacial, soil surface and rock wall temperatures collected between 2010 and 2016 on Mt Ortles, which is the highest summit of South Tyrol, Italy. Details are provided on instrument type and characteristics, field methods, and data quality control and assessment. The obtained data series are available through an open data repository. This is a rare dataset from a summit area lacking observations on permafrost and glaciers and their climatic response.
Zetao Cao, Zhuotong Nan, Jianan Hu, Yuhong Chen, and Yaonan Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3905–3930, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3905-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3905-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides a new 2010 permafrost distribution map of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), using an effective mapping approach based entirely on satellite temperature data, well constrained by survey-based subregion maps, and considering the effects of local factors. The map shows that permafrost underlies about 41 % of the total QTP. We evaluated it with borehole observations and other maps, and all evidence indicates that this map has excellent accuracy.
Cited articles
Balser, A. W., Jones, J. B., and Gens, R.: Timing of retrogressive thaw slump initiation in the Noatak Basin, northwest Alaska, USA, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 119, 1106–1120, https://doi.org/10.1002/2013JF002889, 2014.
Behnia, P. and Blais-Stevens, A.: Landslide susceptibility modelling using the quantitative random forest method along the northern portion of the Yukon Alaska Highway Corridor, Canada, Nat. Hazards, 90, 1407–1426, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3104-z, 2018.
Bivand, R. S. and Wong, D. W. S.: Comparing implementations of global and local indicators of spatial association, TEST, 27, 716–748, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11749-018-0599-x, 2018.
Che, A., Wu, Z., and Wang, P.: Stability of pile foundations base on warming effects on the permafrost under earthquake motions, Soils Found., 54, 639–647, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2014.06.006, 2014.
Chen, H., Zhu, Q., Peng, C., Wu, N., Wang, Y., Fang, X., Gao, Y., Zhu, D., Yang, G., Tian, J., Kang, X., Piao, S., Ouyang, H., Xiang, W., Luo, Z., Jiang, H., Song, X., Zhang, Y., Yu, G., Zhao, X., Gong, P., Yao, T., and Wu, J.: The impacts of climate change and human activities on biogeochemical cycles on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Glob. Change Biol., 19, 2940–2955, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12277, 2013.
Cheng, G. and Jin, H.: Permafrost and groundwater on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and in northeast China, Hydrogeol. J., 21, 5–23, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-012-0927-2, 2013.
Dadfar, B., El Naggar, M. H., and Nastev, M.: Quantifying exposure of linear infrastructures to earthquake-triggered transverse landslides in permafrost thawing slopes, Can. Geotech. J., 54, 1002–1012, https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2017-0076, 2017.
Esri Inc.: Wayback imagery, Esri Inc. [data set], https://livingatlas.arcgis.com/wayback/ (last access: 25 April 2024), 2023.
Farr, T. G., Rosen, P. A., Caro, E., Crippen, R., Duren, R., Hensley, S., Kobrick, M., Paller, M., Rodriguez, E., Roth, L., Seal, D., Shaffer, S., Shimada, J., Umland, J., Werner, M., Oskin, M., Burbank, D., and Alsdorf, D.: The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, Rev. Geophys., 45, 2005RG000183, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005RG000183, 2007 (data available at: https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/sensors/srtm, last access: 29 April 2024).
GF-2: Gaofen-2 imagery, Omap Inc. [data set], https://www.ovital.com/283-2/ (last access: 25 April 2024), 2020.
Gooseff, M. N., Balser, A., Bowden, W. B., and Jones, J. B.: Effects of Hillslope Thermokarst in Northern Alaska, Eos T. Am. Geophys. Un., 90, 29–30, https://doi.org/10.1029/2009EO040001, 2009.
Gorelick, N., Hancher, M., Dixon, M., Ilyushchenko, S., Thau, D., and Moore, R.: Google Earth Engine: Planetary-scale geospatial analysis for everyone, Remote Sens. Environ., 202, 18–27, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.06.031, 2017.
Huang, L., Luo, J., Lin, Z., Niu, F., and Liu, L.: Using deep learning to map retrogressive thaw slumps in the Beiluhe region (Tibetan Plateau) from CubeSat images, Remote Sens. Environ., 237, 111534, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111534, 2020.
Huang, L., Willis, M. J., Li, G., Lantz, T. C., Schaefer, K., Wig, E., Cao, G., and Tiampo, K. F.: Identifying active retrogressive thaw slumps from ArcticDEM, ISPRS J. Photogramm., 205, 301–316, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2023.10.008, 2023.
Jilin-1 satellite Inc.: Jilin-1 satellite imagery, Jilin-1 satellite Inc. [data set], https://www.jl1mall.com/rskit/viewMapSource (last access: 25 April 2024), 2022.
Jin, H., Li, X., Frauenfeld, O. W., Zhao, Y., Chen, C., Du, R., Du, J., and Peng, X.: Comparisons of statistical downscaling methods for air temperature over the Qilian Mountains, Theor. Appl. Climatol., 149, 893–896, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-022-04081-w, 2022.
Jin, X., Wan, L., Zhang, Y.-K., Hu, G., Schaepman, M. E., Clevers, J. G. P. W., and Su, Z. B.: Quantification of spatial distribution of vegetation in the Qilian Mountain area with MODIS NDVI, Int. J. Remote Sens., 30, 5751–5766, https://doi.org/10.1080/01431160902736635, 2009.
Kokelj, S. V. and Jorgenson, M. T.: Advances in Thermokarst Research: Recent Advances in Research Investigating Thermokarst Processes, Permafrost Periglac., 24, 108–119, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.1779, 2013.
Kokelj, S. V., Tunnicliffe, J., Lacelle, D., Lantz, T. C., Chin, K. S., and Fraser, R.: Increased precipitation drives mega slump development and destabilization of ice-rich permafrost terrain, northwestern Canada, Global Planet. Change, 129, 56–68, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2015.02.008, 2015.
Lacelle, D., Brooker, A., Fraser, R. H., and Kokelj, S. V.: Distribution and growth of thaw slumps in the Richardson Mountains–Peel Plateau region, northwestern Canada, Geomorphology, 235, 40–51, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.01.024, 2015.
Lantuit, H. and Pollard, W. H.: Fifty years of coastal erosion and retrogressive thaw slump activity on Herschel Island, southern Beaufort Sea, Yukon Territory, Canada, Geomorphology, 95, 84–102, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.07.040, 2008.
Lantz, T. C. and Kokelj, S. V.: Increasing rates of retrogressive thaw slump activity in the Mackenzie Delta region, N. W. T., Canada, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L06502, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007GL032433, 2008.
Lewkowicz, A. G.: Dynamics of active-layer detachment failures, Fosheim Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, Permafrost Periglac., 18, 89–103, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.578, 2007.
Lewkowicz, A. G. and Way, R. G.: Extremes of summer climate trigger thousands of thermokarst landslides in a High Arctic environment, Nat. Commun., 10, 1329, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09314-7, 2019.
Li, Y., Qin, X., Liu, Y., Jin, Z., Liu, J., Wang, L., and Chen, J.: Evaluation of Long-Term and High-Resolution Gridded Precipitation and Temperature Products in the Qilian Mountains, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, Front. Environ. Sci., 10, 906821, https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.906821, 2022.
Liang, L., Sun, Y., Guan, Q., Pan, N., Du, Q., Mi, J., and Shan, Y.: Projection of landscape ecological risk and exploration of terrain effects in the Qilian Mountains, China, Land Degrad. Dev., 34, 4575–4593, https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.4794, 2023.
Luo, J., Niu, F., Lin, Z., Liu, M., and Yin, G.: Thermokarst lake changes between 1969 and 2010 in the Beilu River Basin, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China, Sci. Bull., 60, 556–564, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-015-0730-2, 2015.
Luo, J., Niu, F., Lin, Z., Liu, M., and Yin, G.: Recent acceleration of thaw slumping in permafrost terrain of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: An example from the Beiluhe Region, Geomorphology, 341, 79–85, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.05.020, 2019.
Luo, J., Niu, F., Lin, Z., Liu, M., Yin, G., and Gao, Z.: Inventory and Frequency of Retrogressive Thaw Slumps in Permafrost Region of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, Geophys. Res. Lett., 49, e2022GL099829, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099829, 2022.
Mu, C., Shang, J., Zhang, T., Fan, C., Wang, S., Peng, X., Zhong, W., Zhang, F., Mu, M., and Jia, L.: Acceleration of thaw slump during 1997–2017 in the Qilian Mountains of the northern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, Landslides, 17, 1051–1062, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01344-3, 2020.
Muñoz Sabater, J.: ERA5-Land monthly averaged data from 1950 to present Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) Climate Data Store (CDS) [data set], https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.68d2bb30, 2019.
Muster, S., Roth, K., Langer, M., Lange, S., Cresto Aleina, F., Bartsch, A., Morgenstern, A., Grosse, G., Jones, B., Sannel, A. B. K., Sjöberg, Y., Günther, F., Andresen, C., Veremeeva, A., Lindgren, P. R., Bouchard, F., Lara, M. J., Fortier, D., Charbonneau, S., Virtanen, T. A., Hugelius, G., Palmtag, J., Siewert, M. B., Riley, W. J., Koven, C. D., and Boike, J.: PeRL: a circum-Arctic Permafrost Region Pond and Lake database, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 9, 317–348, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-9-317-2017, 2017.
National Mineral Properties Database (NMPD): National Mineral Properties Database 2021 Edition [data set], http://data.ngac.org.cn/mineralresource/index.html (last access: 25 April 2024), 2021.
Nicu, I. C., Lombardo, L., and Rubensdotter, L.: Preliminary assessment of thaw slump hazard to Arctic cultural heritage in Nordenskiöld Land, Svalbard, Landslides, 18, 2935–2947, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01684-8, 2021.
Nicu, I. C., Elia, L., Rubensdotter, L., Tanyaş, H., and Lombardo, L.: Multi-hazard susceptibility mapping of cryospheric hazards in a high-Arctic environment: Svalbard Archipelago, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 447–464, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-447-2023, 2023.
Nitze, I., Grosse, G., Jones, B. M., Romanovsky, V. E., and Boike, J.: Remote sensing quantifies widespread abundance of permafrost region disturbances across the Arctic and Subarctic, Nat. Commun., 9, 5423, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07663-3, 2018.
Niu, F., Luo, J., Lin, Z., Liu, M., and Yin, G.: Morphological Characteristics of Thermokarst Lakes along the Qinghai-Tibet Engineering Corridor, Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res., 46, 963–974, https://doi.org/10.1657/1938-4246-46.4.963, 2014.
Niu, F., Luo, J., Lin, Z., Fang, J., and Liu, M.: Thaw-induced slope failures and stability analyses in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, Landslides, 13, 55–65, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-014-0545-2, 2016.
Olefeldt, D., Goswami, S., Grosse, G., Hayes, D., Hugelius, G., Kuhry, P., McGuire, A. D., Romanovsky, V. E., Sannel, A. B. K., Schuur, E. A. G., and Turetsky, M. R.: Circumpolar distribution and carbon storage of thermokarst landscapes, Nat. Commun., 7, 13043, https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13043, 2016.
Patton, A. I., Rathburn, S. L., Capps, D. M., McGrath, D., and Brown, R. A.: Ongoing Landslide Deformation in Thawing Permafrost, Geophys. Res. Lett., 48, e2021GL092959, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL092959, 2021.
Peng, X. and Yang, G.: The hillslope thermokarst inventory for the permafrost region of the Qilian Mountains (2000–2020), National Tibetan Plateau/Third Pole Environment Data Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.11888/Cryos.tpdc.300805 (last access: 25 April 2024), 2023.
Ran, Y., Li, X., Cheng, G., Nan, Z., Che, J., Sheng, Y., Wu, Q., Jin, H., Luo, D., Tang, Z., and Wu, X.: Mapping the permafrost stability on the Tibetan Plateau for 2005–2015, Sci. China Earth Sci., 64, 62–79, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-020-9685-3, 2021.
Resource and Environment Science Data Center (RESDC): Spatial distribution data of vegetation types in China, RESDC, https://www.resdc.cn/data.aspx?DATAID=122 (last access: 25 April 2024), 2001.
Segal, R. A., Lantz, T. C., and Kokelj, S. V.: Acceleration of thaw slump activity in glaciated landscapes of the Western Canadian Arctic, Environ. Res. Lett., 11, 034025, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/11/3/034025, 2016.
Sharkhuu, A., Sharkhuu, N., Etzelmüller, B., Heggem, E. S. F., Nelson, F. E., Shiklomanov, N. I., Goulden, C. E., and Brown, J.: Permafrost monitoring in the Hovsgol mountain region, Mongolia, J. Geophys. Res., 112, F02S06, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000543, 2007.
Stephani, E., Darrow, M. M., Kanevskiy, M., Wuttig, F., Daanen, R. P., Schwarber, J. A., Doré, G., Shur, Y., Jorgenson, M. T., Croft, P., and Drage, J. S.: Hillslope erosional features and permafrost dynamics along infrastructure in the Arctic Foothills, Alaska, Permafrost Periglac., 34, 208–228, https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2188, 2023.
Stieglitz, M., Déry, S. J., Romanovsky, V. E., and Osterkamp, T. E.: The role of snow cover in the warming of arctic permafrost, Geophys. Res. Lett., 30, 1721, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL017337, 2003.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/ (last access: 25 April 2024), 2019.
Third Pole Environment Data Center (TPDC): Map of permafrost distribution in the Qilian Mountains, National Tibetan Plateau/Third Pole Environment Data Center [data set], https://doi.org/10.11888/Geocry.tpdc.270456, 2020.
United States Geological Survey (USGS): Earthquake hazards program, USGS, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/search/, last access: 25 April 2024.
Wang, R., Peng, Q., Zhang, W., Zhao, W., Liu, C., and Zhou, L.: Ecohydrological Service Characteristics of Qilian Mountain Ecosystem in the Next 30 Years Based on Scenario Simulation, Sustainability, 14, 1819, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031819, 2022.
Wang, S.: Thaw Slumping in Fenghuo Mountain Area Along Qinghai-Xizang Highway, Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 12, 63–70, https://doi.org/10.7522/j.issn.1000-0240.1990.0007, 1990.
Ward Jones, M. K., Pollard, W. H., and Jones, B. M.: Rapid initialization of retrogressive thaw slumps in the Canadian high Arctic and their response to climate and terrain factors, Environ. Res. Lett., 14, 055006, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab12fd, 2019.
Xia, Z., Huang, L., Fan, C., Jia, S., Lin, Z., Liu, L., Luo, J., Niu, F., and Zhang, T.: Retrogressive thaw slumps along the Qinghai–Tibet Engineering Corridor: a comprehensive inventory and their distribution characteristics, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3875–3887, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3875-2022, 2022.
Xiong, J., Li, Y., Zhong, Y., Lu, H., Lei, J., Xin, W., Wang, L., Hu, X., and Zhang, P.: Latest Pleistocene to Holocene Thrusting Recorded by a Flight of Strath Terraces in the Eastern Qilian Shan, NE Tibetan Plateau, TECTONICS, 36, 2973–2986, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017TC004648, 2017.
Yang, D., Qiu, H., Ye, B., Liu, Y., Zhang, J., and Zhu, Y.: Distribution and Recurrence of Warming-Induced Retrogressive Thaw Slumps on the Central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 128, e2022JF007047, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF007047, 2023.
Yin, G., Niu, F., Lin, Z., Luo, J., and Liu, M.: Effects of local factors and climate on permafrost conditions and distribution in Beiluhe basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, Sci. Total Environ., 581–582, 472–485, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.155, 2017.
Yin, G., Luo, J., Niu, F., Lin, Z., and Liu, M.: Machine learning-based thermokarst landslide susceptibility modeling across the permafrost region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Landslides, 18, 2639–2649, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01669-7, 2021.
Zhang, T.: Influence of the seasonal snow cover on the ground thermal regime: An overview, Rev. Geophys., 43, RG4002, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004RG000157, 2005.
Short summary
It is important to know about the distribution of thermokarst landscapes. However, most work has been done in the permafrost regions of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, except for the Qilian Mountains in the northeast. Here we used satellite images and field work to investigate and analyze its potential driving factors. We found a total of 1064 hillslope thermokarst (HT) features in this area, and 82 % were initiated in the last 10 years. These findings will be significant for the next predictions.
It is important to know about the distribution of thermokarst landscapes. However, most work has...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint