Suprapermafrost subaerial taliks, central Yakutia, Shestakovka River basin

Abstract

The study presents the results of drilling, geophysical survey and ground temperature monitoring in the area of suprapermafrost subaerial water-bearing talik that is associated with sandy deposits in the sparsely vegetated gentle slope of the Levaya Shestakovka River terrace covered by pine forest. The talik is 180–200 m wide and more than 500 m long, has a complicated contour and consists of several water-conducting channels. The configuration of unfrozen zones assessed with a ground penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography is similar, thus confirming the efficiency of the applied geophysical methods. The mean value of ground temperature and its amplitude for one year at the talik area are much higher than outside of the talik. The depth of the zero annual amplitude does not exceed 6 m due to the constant yearly temperature of the water-saturated deposits equal to 0 °С.