CLIMATIC CHANGE AND PERMAFROST: RECORD FROM SURFICIAL DEPOSITS

Past changes in climate and permafrost should be studied in detail to provide a basis for predicting how permafrost and the landscape will respond to future natural or human-induced climatic change such as the warming that is expected to result from the buildup of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The paper discusses surficial deposits as indicators of paleoclimate and permafrost, and the history of permafrost and climatic change as determined from surficial deposits. It is pointed out that the research in this area should aim at 3 goals: determining quantitative relations between climate, permafrost, vegetation cover, and geologic processes at the land surface; establishing a long-term record of natural climatic variability, including rates of climatic change and response of permafrost and the landscape; and understanding the paleoenvironments of past warm periods that are possible analogs for future warm episodes.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/13202939
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  345 East 47th Street
  New York, NY  United States  10017-2398
• Authors:
  • Carter, L D
• Publication Date: 1990-3

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 43-53
• Serial:
  • Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0887-381X
  • Serial URL: http://opjs.aip.org/cro

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate; Geology; Permafrost; Vegetation
• Old TRIS Terms: Geology (Soils)
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00493850
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1990 12:00AM