Accelerating permafrost collapse on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

Permafrost collapse can rapidly change regional soil-thermal and hydrological conditions, potentially stimulating production of climate-warming gases. Here, we report on rate and extent of permafrost collapse on the extensive Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Asian Water Tower and the Third Pole. C...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental Research Letters
Main Authors: Tanguang Gao, Yulan Zhang, Shichang Kang, Benjamin W Abbott, Xiaoming Wang, Tingjun Zhang, Shuhua Yi, Örjan Gustafsson
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2021
Subjects:
permafrost
climate change
soil organic carbon
Tibetan Plateau
Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
TD1-1066
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Science
Q
Physics
QC1-999
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abf7f0
https://doaj.org/article/586d65f9fa994dfbbb870ace1eefcf27
Description
Summary:Permafrost collapse can rapidly change regional soil-thermal and hydrological conditions, potentially stimulating production of climate-warming gases. Here, we report on rate and extent of permafrost collapse on the extensive Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Asian Water Tower and the Third Pole. Combined data from in situ measurements, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), manned aerial photographs, and satellite images suggest that permafrost collapse was accelerating across the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. From 1969 to 2017, the area of collapsed permafrost has increased by approximately a factor of 40, with 70% of the collapsed area forming since 2004. These widespread perturbations to the Tibetan Plateau permafrost could trigger changes in local ecosystem state and amplify large-scale permafrost climate feedbacks.

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