Basics of the standardized methodology for cryogenic processes monitoring in the Arctic regions of Russia

Abstract:

Only pinpoint problems in cryogenic processes monitoring are solved in modern studies in the Arctic regions of Russia. The main scientific topics aimed at trouble-free operation of infrastructure facilities with mitigation of cryogenic processes or assessment of the areal changes, using the remote sensing technologies. The field works usually organise according to the different approaches. It makes impossible to evaluate the modern mechanics of the process development or to compare it on the regional scale. The question of a detailed study of the formation of cryogenic processes in “new reality” arises in the changing environmental conditions. It is necessary to get continuous and unified series of direct observations of these processes for the further forecast and for the understanding of their modern behaviour.

There are several large international scientific programs established in the 1990’s TSP and CALM. These programs cover data on permafrost temperatures in deep boreholes, as well as data of the active layer thicknesses, but there are still no programs, focused on cryogenic processes monitoring.

What do we need is to develop the uniform methods for the long-term field monitoring of processes. We have filtered 5 processes appropriate for the field monitoring (based on its destructivity rate), revealed its general parameters, necessary for the selection of its activation triggers. We suggest the conception of the “model” territories (based on statistical analysis of the geographical and geological parameters) for the field monitoring. “Model” called territories where the degree of the process manifestation is maximum. We have analysed modern and archive literature, field data and personal experience of the field work for each process in order to draw up a monitoring methodology for five chosen processes and to create the sites projects.

Supported by the grant. RFBR 18-05-60080 “Dangerous nival-glacial and cryogenic processes and their impact on infrastructure in the Arctic”.