Distribution and zonation of permafrost along the eastern ranges of the Cordillera of North America.

Abstract

New data are used to produce an elevation view of permafrost in the ranges north of the 35oN paralle. In the south, there is a zone of sporadic permafrost up to 1000 m in vertical extent overlain by continuous permafrost. The zone of discontinuous permafrost (30-80% of the surface with permafrost) is only about 50 m in vertical extent. North of 54o N, this changes, with discontinuous permafrost encroaching on the sporadic permafrost zone. -from Author