Catalogue and Atlas of giant aufeis of the North-East of Russia

Vladimir Alexeev,Olga Makarieva,Anastasiya Semakina,Andrey Ostashov,Nataliia Nesterova,Andrey Shikhov,O Makarieva,D Post

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202016304001

Abstract

This study presents the results of development of the Catalogue and Atlas of giant aufeis-taryns in the North-East of Russia. The characteristics of aufeis in the North-East of Russia for the last 70 years have been generalized and systematized into the Catalogue database using data from the Cadastre of aufeis (1958) and Landsat images for the period 2013-2017 for the Yana, Indigirka, Kolyma River basins and Chukotka area. In total the territory more than 1.9 million km2 is covered by the study. The Catalogue contains the information about the location and characteristics of more than 4600 aufeis fields. The release of the Atlas of aufeis-taryns in the North-East of Russia has been announced. It reveals the history of study, origin, distribution, and specific features of aufeis and is supplemented with medium- and large-scale maps of aufeis with their seasonal and long-term dynamics.

Highlights

Aufeis is a peculiar form of seasonal glaciation that is typical for almost the entire permafrost region and consists of large ice masses in river valleys that are formed as a result of layer-by-layer freezing of ground water spilled onto the surface
Aufeis-taryns are especially widespread in the North-East of the Asian continent where they are of gigantic size: the area of aufeis fields is measured in tens of square kilometres, and the ice thickness reaches 10-12 m
Despite the relevance of aufeis studies, the genetic nature of giant aufeis formations remains largely unknown. For example, it is not clear where such a huge amount of water feeding aufeis is taken from among the solid and powerful permafrost, the reasons for the collapse and appearance of new aufeis fields are not known, the migration routes of aufeis-forming waters are mysterious, the mechanism of formation of injection subglacial ice layers, the structure and patterns of development of aufeis landscapes, dangerous permafrost and hydrothermal phenomena caused by aufeis are poorly studied

Summary

Introduction

Aufeis is a peculiar form of seasonal glaciation that is typical for almost the entire permafrost region and consists of large ice masses in river valleys that are formed as a result of layer-by-layer freezing of ground water spilled onto the surface. A complex of dangerous cryogenic phenomena is developing within the aufeis areas of river valleys significantly affecting the economic activities in the region. For example, it is not clear where such a huge amount of water feeding aufeis is taken from among the solid and powerful permafrost, the reasons for the collapse and appearance of new aufeis fields are not known, the migration routes of aufeis-forming waters are mysterious, the mechanism of formation of injection subglacial ice layers, the structure and patterns of development of aufeis landscapes, dangerous permafrost and hydrothermal phenomena caused by aufeis are poorly studied.

Aufeis-taryns of the North-East of Russia

Catalogue of aufeis of the North-East of Russia

Findings

Atlas of giant aufeis of the North-East of Russia