Study on the Permafrost Distribution Based on RS/GIS

Abstract

Permafrost in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the world’s highest elevation and largest permafrost regions in the lower latitude. For its vast area and less measured data, traditional mapping methods rely on the observations of station have been largely restricted. So it is necessary to build permafrost distribution model. Based on the GIS, using the RS data as the main data source and considering the distribution characteristics of permafrost in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we build Multivariate analysis model. Considered the elevation, land-surface temperature, vegetation, soil moisture and surface albedo and other factors related to the permafrost distribution in Tibet Plateau, and selected the Qinghai Tibet highway as the study area to simulate the permafrost distribution. Compared with the Retrieval Model of Ground Temperature based on RS/GIS, elevation model and frost number model, it is found that simulation result of Multivariate analysis model fit best with the permafrost distribution map and it reflected the permafrost distribution well along the Qinghai-Tibet highway.