Dataset Information

Impacts of the active layer on runoff in an upland permafrost basin, northern Tibetan Plateau.

ABSTRACT: The paucity of studies on permafrost runoff generation processes, especially in mountain permafrost, constrains the understanding of permafrost hydrology and prediction of hydrological responses to permafrost degradation. This study investigated runoff generation processes, in addition to the contribution of summer thaw depth, soil temperature, soil moisture, and precipitation to streamflow in a small upland permafrost basin in the northern Tibetan Plateau. Results indicated that the thawing period and the duration of the zero-curtain were longer in permafrost of the northern Tibetan Plateau than in the Arctic. Limited snowmelt delayed the initiation of surface runoff in the peat permafrost in the study area. The runoff displayed intermittent generation, with the duration of most runoff events lasting less than 24 h. Precipitation without runoff generation was generally correlated with lower soil moisture conditions. Combined analysis suggested runoff generation in this region was controlled by soil temperature, thaw depth, precipitation frequency and amount, and antecedent soil moisture. This study serves as an important baseline to evaluate future environmental changes on the Tibetan Plateau.

SUBMITTER: Gao T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5823382 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Impacts of the active layer on runoff in an upland permafrost basin, northern Tibetan Plateau.

Gao Tanguang T Zhang Tingjun T Guo Hong H Hu Yuantao Y Shang Jianguo J Zhang Yulan Y

PloS one 20180222 2

The paucity of studies on permafrost runoff generation processes, especially in mountain permafrost, constrains the understanding of permafrost hydrology and prediction of hydrological responses to permafrost degradation. This study investigated runoff generation processes, in addition to the contribution of summer thaw depth, soil temperature, soil moisture, and precipitation to streamflow in a small upland permafrost basin in the northern Tibetan Plateau. Results indicated that the thawing per ...[more]

PMID: 29470510

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Project description:The dynamic changes of the thawing and freezing processes of the active layer cause seasonal subsidence and uplift over a large area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau due to ongoing climate warming. To analyze and investigate the seasonal freeze-thaw process of the active layer, we employ the new small baseline subset (NSBAS) technique based on a piecewise displacement model, including seasonal deformation, as well as linear and residual deformation trends, to retrieve the surface deformation of the Beiluhe basin. We collect 35 Sentinel-1 images with a 12 days revisit time and 9 TerraSAR-X images with less-than two month revisit time from 2018 to 2019 to analyze the type of the amplitude of seasonal oscillation of different ground targets on the Beiluhe basin in detail. The Sentinel-1 results show that the amplitude of seasonal deformation is between -62.50 mm and 11.50 mm, and the linear deformation rate ranges from -24.50 mm/yr to 5.00 mm/yr (2018-2019) in the study area. The deformation trends in the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) and Qinghai-Tibet Highway (QTH) regions are stable, ranging from -18.00 mm to 6 mm. The InSAR results of Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X data show that seasonal deformation trends are consistent, exhibiting good correlations 0.78 and 0.84, and the seasonal and linear deformation rates of different ground targets are clearly different on the Beiluhe basin. Additionally, there are different time lags between the maximum freezing uplift or thawing subsidence and the maximum or minimum temperature for the different ground target areas. The deformation values of the alpine meadow and floodplain areas are higher compared with the alpine desert and barren areas, and the time lags of the freezing and thawing periods based on the Sentinel-1 results are longest in the alpine desert area, that is, 86 days and 65 days, respectively. Our research has important reference significance for the seasonal dynamic monitoring of different types of seasonal deformation and the extensive investigations of permafrost in Qinghai Tibet Plateau.

Dataset Information

Impacts of the active layer on runoff in an upland permafrost basin, northern Tibetan Plateau.

Publications

Impacts of the active layer on runoff in an upland permafrost basin, northern Tibetan Plateau.

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