Monitoring Network for Atmospheric and Soil Parameters Measurements in Permafrost Area of Buryatia, Russian Federation

• Main Authors: Nimazhap Badmaev, Aleksandr Bazarov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-12-01
• Series: Geosciences
• Subjects: atmosphere and soil measurement complex; climate change; permafrost types; temperature regime of soils; control; freezing and thawing of soils; “mirror imaging”
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/9/1/6

The monitoring network for the measurement of atmospheric and soil climate parameters was created at the southern boundary of the permafrost zone within the territory of the Republic of Buryatia, Russian Federation. Based on the obtained data, the processes of soil freezing and thawing were studied. Negative temperatures in cold soils occurred within 5.5–6 months, whereas the subsoil was in a thawed state most of the year. On the contrary, permafrost-affected soils were thawed for 4.5–5 months, remaining frozen in the subsoil for most of the year. We propose referring to the observed spatial–temporal differences in the temperature dynamics as the “mirror imaging” of the distribution of heat and cold (frost) in the studied soils of the permafrost zone.