Using monitored active layer thickness(ALT) and environmental variables of 10 observation fields along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway in permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP),a model for ALT estimation was developed.The temporal and spatial characteristics of the ALT were also analyzed.The results showed that in the past 30 years ALT in the study region increased at a rate of 1.33 cm a-1.Temperatures at the upper limit of permafrost and at 50 cm depth,along with soil cumulative temperature at 5 cm depth also exhibited a rising trend.Soil heat flux increased at a rate of 0.1 Wm-2 a-1.All the above changes demonstrated that the degradation of permafrost happened in the study region on the QTP.The initial thawing date of active layer was advanced,while the initial freezing date was delayed.The number of thawing days increased to a rate of 1.18 da-1.The variations of active layer were closely related to the permafrost type,altitude,underlying surface type and soil composition.The variations were more evident in cold permafrost region than in warm permafrost region,in high-altitude region than in low-altitude region,in alpine meadow region than in alpine steppe region;and in fine-grained soil region than in coarse-grained soil region.
LI RenZHAO LinDING YongJianWU TongHuaXIAO YaoDU ErJiLIU GuangYueQIAO YongPing
This paper presents research on the surface drag coefficients, CD, and the bulk transfer coefficients of sensible heat flux, CH, in the permafrost region at the Tanggula Pass of the Tibetan Plateau. The data were obtained from the Open-Path Eddy Covariance System and the 10-m Automatic Weather Station (AWS) at the TGLMS site which supported by Cryosphere Research Station (Chinese Academy of Science) on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (Tibetan Plateau). The characteristics of Co and CH in relation to atmospheric instability and wind velocity are discussed, and it was found that the bulk transfer coefficients varied with air conditions and were different in different months. However, the bulk transfer coefficients obtained from the eddy covariance system did not show a significant increasing trend with increasing atmospheric instability, and the bulk transfer coefficients did not change greatly with increasing wind velocity at 10 m.