Dynamics of Surface Soil Cover Temperature Fluctuations in the Arctic Region

Abstract

Permafrost studies play important role in development and improvement of the geoecological predictive model of climate change and prediction of ecological situation development in the Arctic region. Data on the dynamics of surface soil cover temperature fluctuations are extremely crucial. Therefore, thermometers with automatic memory are necessary. This paper presents the results of daily measurements of soil cover temperature at different depths with a half-hour time interval of recording during the winter and spring periods. Also, characteristics of the studied soil cover, typical to tundra areas in the region of Nadym, are presented.A special multichannel thermometer with 21 temperature sensors is used to measure the temperature and produce the temperature data. Sensors on a probe are separated by the 5 cm distance which allows measuring the temperature of soil up to 1 m in depth. Temperature dynamics of freezing of snow and soil covers is studied. Acquired data is utilized to estimate the influence of physical properties of soil cover and ambient temperature on the prevailing geocryological situation. Freezing boundary formation is demonstrated, and specific “active temperature layer” as the layer of soil subjected to sharp daily temperature fluctuations is revealed.DOI 10.14258/izvasu(2018)1-03