Ground temperature measurements in mountain permafrost, Jotunheimen, southern Norway

• Published in: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
• Main Authors: Ødegård, R. S., Sollid, J. L., Liestøl, O.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1992
• Subjects: permafrost; Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.3430030310; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fppp.3430030310; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ppp.3430030310

Abstract Ground temperatures have been measured over a 5 year period of between −1.8 °C and −2.3 °C at 10m depth on a mountain plateau, 1851 m a.s.l. in Jotunheimen, southern Norway (61°40′N, 8°20′E). On the basis of additional shallow ground temperature measurements at different altitudes, the change in ground temperature with altitude is estimated to be 0.57 °C/100 m. This estimate, combined with the measured mean annual ground temperature, indicates the lower limit of discontinuous permafrost in the area to be at 1450–1500 m a.s.l. The mean annual ground temperature above 2200 m a.s.l. is below −4 °C. These values are representative for flat or slightly convex areas. Owing to strong winds, there is little snow until late April at the ground temperature measurement site. Maximum snow depth in May is 0.5 m.