THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CLIMATIC CHANGE FOR THE PERMAFROST ENVIRONMENT

The effects of climate change on the permafrost environment should be considered in a variety of ways. Various earth surface properties could be affected by increased rainfall, and changes in snow cover would complicate the effect of climatic warming on ground thermal conditions. Ground thermal conditions will be affected as vegetation itself changes in response to climatic change. With climatic warming it seems inevitable that some permafrost would dissappear and there would be a new "permafrost map". Of immediate concern is the speed with which these effects will be seen and the rate of their development. The influence of such changes to northern geotechnical engineering must be considered.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00293083
• Corporate Authors:

  Geophysical Institute

  Alaska University
  Fairbanks, AK  United States  99701
• Authors:
  • Smith, M W
• Publication Date: 1990-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 21-26
• Serial:
  • Northern Engineer
  • Volume: 22
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Geophysical Institute
  • ISSN: 0029-3083

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate; Geotechnical engineering; Global warming; Heat; Permafrost; Temperature; Thermal analysis
• Old TRIS Terms: Permafrost regions; Thermal conditions
• Subject Areas: Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I62: Winter Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00604325
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 28 1991 12:00AM