Identifying mountain permafrost degradation by repeating historical electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) measurements

IF 4.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL

Cryosphere Pub Date : 2023-07-19 DOI:10.5194/tc-17-2919-2023

J. Buckel, J. Mudler, Rainer Gardeweg, C. Hauck, C. Hilbich, R. Frauenfelder, C. Kneisel, Sebastian Buchelt, J. Blöthe, A. Hördt, M. Bücker

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引用次数: 2

Abstract

Abstract. Ongoing global warming intensifies the degradation of permafrost. Permafrost thawing impacts landform evolution, reduces freshwater resources, enhances the potential of natural hazards and thus has significant socio-economic impacts. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has been widely used to map the ice-containing permafrost by its resistivity contrast compared to the surrounding unfrozen medium. This study aims to reveal the effects of ongoing climate warming on mountain permafrost by repeating historical ERT and analyzing the temporal changes in the resistivity distribution. In order to facilitate the measurements, we introduce and discuss the employment of textile electrodes. These newly developed electrodes significantly reduce working effort, are easy to deploy on blocky surfaces and yield sufficiently low contact resistances. We analyze permafrost evolution on three periglacial landforms (two rock glaciers and one talus slope) in the Swiss and Austrian Alps by repeating historical surveys after 10, 12 and 16 years, respectively. The resistivity values have been significantly reduced in ice-poor permafrost landforms at all study sites. Interestingly, resistivity values related to ice-rich permafrost in the studied active rock glacier partly increased during the studied time period. To explain this apparently counterintuitive (in view of increased resistivity) observation, geomorphological circumstances, such as the relief and increased creep velocity of the active rock glacier, are discussed by using additional remote sensing data. The present study highlights ice-poor permafrost degradation in the Alps resulting from ever-accelerating global warming.

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通过重复历史电阻率层析成像（ERT）测量识别山区永久冻土退化

摘要持续的全球变暖加剧了永久冻土的退化。多年冻土融化影响地貌演变，减少淡水资源，增加自然灾害的可能性，从而产生重大的社会经济影响。电阻率层析成像（ERT）通过其与周围未冻结介质的电阻率对比，已被广泛用于绘制含冰永久冻土。本研究旨在通过重复历史ERT并分析电阻率分布的时间变化，揭示气候变暖对山区永久冻土的影响。为了便于测量，我们介绍并讨论了织物电极的使用。这些新开发的电极显著减少了操作工作量，易于部署在块状表面上，并且产生足够低的接触电阻。我们分别在10年、12年和16年后通过重复历史调查，分析了瑞士和奥地利阿尔卑斯山三种冰缘地貌（两个岩石冰川和一个距骨斜坡）上的永久冻土演变。在所有研究地点的贫冰永久冻土地貌中，电阻率值都显著降低。有趣的是，在研究的时间段内，与所研究的活动岩石冰川中富含冰的永久冻土相关的电阻率值部分增加。为了解释这种明显违反直觉的（鉴于电阻率增加）观测，通过使用额外的遥感数据讨论了地貌环境，如活动岩石冰川的起伏和上升速度。目前的研究强调了全球变暖加剧导致阿尔卑斯山冰川永久性退化的原因。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Cryosphere GEOGRAPHY, PHYSICAL-GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

CiteScore

8.70

自引率

17.30%

发文量

240

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： The Cryosphere (TC) is a not-for-profit international scientific journal dedicated to the publication and discussion of research articles, short communications, and review papers on all aspects of frozen water and ground on Earth and on other planetary bodies. The main subject areas are the following: ice sheets and glaciers; planetary ice bodies; permafrost and seasonally frozen ground; seasonal snow cover; sea ice; river and lake ice; remote sensing, numerical modelling, in situ and laboratory studies of the above and including studies of the interaction of the cryosphere with the rest of the climate system.