Home – Home – Jornals – Earth’s Cryosphere 2021 number 4

The present article discusses the current theoretical problem of the dissection of thicknesses of frozen Quaternary formations for the purpose of reconstructing the history of their development, stratigraphy and mapping. This justifies the utilization of the cryofacies and cryoformation methods. Cryolithostratigraphy is discussed as a new branch of science at the junction of cryolithology and climatostratigraphy. The concepts of “cryofacies”, “cryogenic contact”, “cryogenic formation” are defined; distinctive types of cryofacies cryostratigraphy and cryogenic contacts are highlighted. A range of cryolithological studies from the primary dissection of frozen thicknesses to the solution of cryolithostratigraphic problems is proposed. The relationship between cryolithostratigraphy and paleocryolithostratigraphy is revealed.

On the basis of experimental studies, an assessment of the influence of air temperature and weather type on the heat-shielding properties of the moss cover has been given. It has been revealed that in sunny weather with light cloudiness, the highest temperature of the soil surface under 1 cm thick moss is almost by 13 °С higher than under 5 cm thick moss, while in cloudy weather that difference is 3 °С. The measurements has demonstrated that for the period of 06.07 to 08.08.2016, the average temperature of the 70 cm thick soil layer under the 5 cm thick moss cover was by 1.5 °C lower than that under the 1 cm thick one.

The shrinking in mountain ranges caused by climate change worldwide today leads to periglacial lakes formation in the areas of degrading glaciation. The lifetime of moraine-dammed lakes is ephemeral on the geological time scale. They are characterized by dynamic instability and are prone to outbursts. Degradation of moraine dams often results in catastrophic outbursts. Generally, these floods are followed by mudflows. Thus, glacial outburst floods and mud floods cause significant damage to the infrastructure and populated localities in the mountain foothills. In this study, we present the stages of formation and evolution of a periglacial water body on the example of Lake Nurgan (Tsambagarav, northwestern Mongolia). Based on the results of the comprehensive field research, we have described the transgressive, regressive and post-regressive phases of the periglacial reservoir evolution.

A method for surface cooling of frozen foundations has been proposed. It includes heat insulation through the soil surface and a unit for forced circulation of a refrigerant. The latter is used only in summer during the entire period of operation of the structure. The method has important advantages in comparison with the known methods of surface cooling: a) a seasonally thawed layer can’t be formed at any time of the annual cycle and the cooling impulse enters the ground base throughout the entire calendar year; b) in urban conditions, the use of a machine cooling method (instead of seasonally operating cooling systems) is quite reasonable since it does not require significant space for its implementation. Analysis of the results of temperature fields calculating demonstrates quick cooling of the ground base: for all calculation options, the temperature at the depth of zero annual amplitude in the second year of operation reaches a value corresponding to hard frozen state of most of the soils. The decrease becomes even more significant in the third year of operation. The calculation results are rather weakly dependent on the distance between the cooling elements of the applied cooling system within the considered range of variation of that value (from 0.7 to 1.0 m).

Analysis of the glacier surges during 2015-2020 in the western parts of Peter the First Ridge, Pamir, is carried out based on the interpretation of images taken from the International Space Station, as well from Landsat, RapidEye and Sentinel satellites. It is established that massive ice blocks breaking off from glaciers and their rapid descent down the valley is not unique for that region. The damage caused to human economic activity as a result of the investigated glacier surges is described. Periods of pulsation of some glaciers are determined.

The article reflects the main milestones of the scientific activity of A.G. Skvortsov, Candidate of Technical Sciences, a renowned specialist of the ECI TyumSC of SB RAS. Andrey Georgievitch is a specialist in the field of seismoacoustic researches of shallow sections. He is the author of original methods of seismic exploration, successfully used both in the cryolithozone and beyond it.

On June 4, 2021, Stanislav Alekseevich Laukhin, a recognized specialist in Quaternary geology of the North of Russia, professor of the Department of Engineering Geology of the GGF MGRI, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, an unusually purposeful and tireless person, passed away.