The Dynamics of Seasonal Thawing of Permafrost in the Region of Research Station “Ice Base “Cape Baranov” (Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago)

Abstract

The results of permafrost observations in the northern part of theBolshevikIsland(Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago) started in February 2016 at the meteorological site of the research station “Ice Base “CapeBaranov” are presented. Features of two-year measurements of temperature, heat flux and humidity in the soil active layer due to the processes of its seasonal thawing/freezing, including the so-called “zero curtain effect” are described. The review of climatic and landscape characteristics of the research area, as well as the parameterization of thermophysical properties of the three main types of arctic soils (sandy, sandy loamy and clayey) in the frozen and thawed state was performed. Using the stationary model, realizing the Kudryavtsev’s algorithm, the data of atmospheric reanalysis and direct meteorological observations, interannual variability of seasonal thawing depth as well as mean annual temperature of permafrost surface for various soil types on theBolshevikIslandwere obtained. It is shown that the permafrost-climatic changes during last 70 years, despite significant interannual fluctuations, reflecting the variability of atmospheric conditions at the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, are consistent with global temperature increase, and taken into account variations in the snow layer thicknesses and vegetation cover are close to the same measured in 2016–2017 years.