Recent acceleration of thaw slumping in permafrost terrain of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: An example from the Beiluhe Region

Abstract

Thaw slump activity has recently increased in permafrost areas of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Thaw slumps may influence the stability of infrastructure and impact global biogeochemical cycles. This study presents changes in retrogressive thaw slump in the Beiluhe Region based on interpretation of satellite imagery. Thaw slumping has become widespread in the region over the last ten years. The total number of thaw slumps has increased by 253% and the total affected area increased by 617%. The intensification of thaw slumping in the study region did not increase steadily over the study period, but was rather concentrated during two years: 2010 and 2016. This was mainly attributed to anomalously high air temperatures during the thawing season and abundant precipitation. Initiation of future thaw slumps on QTP will likely similarly be linked to changing trends in anomalous weather events and climate warming.