Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T01:33:07.043Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

9 - Climate Warming Induced Frozen Soil Changes and the Corresponding Environmental Effect on the Tibetan Plateau

A Review

from Part II - Climate Risk to Human and Natural Systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2022

By
Yunyun Ban ,
Qiuhong Tang  and
Ximeng Xu
Edited by
Qiuhong Tang  and
Guoyong Leng
Qiuhong Tang
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
Guoyong Leng
Affiliation:
Oxford University Centre for the Environment
Get access

Summary

Climate change caused by the increase in regional and global air temperature significantly affects the environment, especially in cold regions. The frozen ground degradation and its environmental consequence in the Tibetan region are reviewed. Model simulations show that air temperature in the Tibetan Plateau will continue to increase by 3.8–4.8°C at the end of this century. From 1981 to 2010, the duration of seasonally frozen ground was shortened, which delayed its start by 3.4 days and ended 9.4 days earlier than normal. The warming phenomenon resulted in degradation of frozen ground and permafrost by 3.3 105 km2 and 1.11 106 km2, respectively. From 2001 to 2015,soil erosion and desert area increased by 1.14 and 1.80 per cent, respectively. This resulted in a reduction of vegetation coverage. In addition, the influence of climate change on highway on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau was also caused by frozen ground degradation, soil deformation and thawed settlement. With a large portion of frozen ground degradation in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, long-term field monitoring, remote sensing investigations, model predictions for temperature and frozen soil, and adaptations to environmental change are needed to mitigate the effects of more intense changes expected in the future.

Keywords

Climate changeTibetan PlateauFrozen ground degradationPermafrost retreatEnvironment effectReview
Type
Chapter
Information
Climate Risk and Sustainable Water Management , pp. 179 - 197
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bloomfield, J. P., Jackson, C. R., & Stuart, M. E. (2013). Changes in groundwater levels, temperature, and quality in the UK over the 20th century: An assessment of evidence of impacts from climate change. Living With Environmental Change Report, UK, 14 pp., Available from http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/503271/ (Last accessed 19 September 2013).Google Scholar
Chen, D. F., Wang, M. C., & Xia, B. (2005). Formation condition and distribution prediction of gas hydrate in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau permafrost. Chinese Journal of Geophysics 48(1): 166–172.Google Scholar
Cheng, G. D. (2005). A roadbed cooling approach for the construction of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Cold Region Science and Technology 42(2): 169–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheng, G. D., & Wu, T. (2007). Responses of permafrost to climate change and their environmental significance, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Journal of Geophysical Research 112(F02S03): 1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cheng, G., & Zhao, L. (2000), The problems associated with permafrost in the development of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau (in Chinese with English abstract). Quaternary Sciences, 20(6): 521–531.Google Scholar
Cheng, W., Zhao, S., Zhou, C., & Chen, X. (2012). Simulation of the decadal permafrost distribution on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau (China) over the past 50 years. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 23(4): 292–300.Google Scholar
Daout, S., Doin, M. P., Peltzer, G., Socquet, A., & Lasserre, C. (2017). Large-scale InSAR monitoring of permafrost freeze-thaw cycles on the Tibetan plateau. Geophysical Research Letters 44(2): 901–909.Google Scholar
Dong, Y. (2001). Driving mechanism and status of sandy desertification in the northern Tibet Plateau. Journal of Mountain Science, 19(5): 385–391 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Fang, H. B., Zhao, L., Wu, X. D., et al. (2015). Soil taxonomy and distribution characteristics of the permafrost region in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Journal of Mountain Science 12(6): 1448–1459.Google Scholar
Gao, B., Yang, D., Qin, Y., et al. (2018). Change in frozen soils and its effect on regional hydrology, upper Heihe basin, northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. The Cryosphere 12(2): 657–673.Google Scholar
Guo, B., Luo, W., Wang, D., & Jiang, L. (2017). Spatial and temporal change patterns of freeze–thaw erosion in the three-river source region under the stress of climate warming. Journal of Mountain Science, 14(6): 86–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, D., & Wang, H. (2014). Simulated change in the near-surface soil freeze/thaw cycle on the Tibetan plateau from 1981 to 2010. Chinese Science Bulletin 59(20): 2439–2448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, D., Wang, H., & Li, D. (2012). A projection of permafrost degradation on the Tibetan plateau during the 21st century. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 117(D5): 1–15.Google Scholar
Han, Y., Xi, X., Song, L., Ye, Y., & Li, Y. (2004), Spatio-temporal sand-dust distribution in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its climatic significance. Journal of Desert Research 24(5): 72–76 (in Chinese with English abstract).Google Scholar
Houghton, J., Filho, L., Callander, B., et al. (eds.) (1996). Climate Change 1995: The Science of Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Immerzeel, W. W., Droogers, P., De Jong, S. M., & Bierkens, M. F. P. (2009). Large-scale monitoring of snow cover and runoff simulation in Himalayan river basins using remote sensing. Remote Sensing of Environment 113(1): 40–49.Google Scholar
Immerzeel, W. W., van Beek, L. P. H., Konz, M., Shrestha, A. B., & Bierkens, M. F. P. (2012). Hydrological response to climate change in a glacierized catchment in the Himalayas. Climatic Change 110: 721–736.Google Scholar
Jamshidi, R. J., & Lake, C. B. (2015). Hydraulic and strength properties of unexposed and freeze–thaw exposed cement-stabilized soils. Canadian Geotechnical Journal 52(3): 283–294.Google Scholar
Jin, H., He, R., Cheng, G., et al. (2009). Changes in frozen ground in the source area of the Yellow River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, and their eco-environmental impacts. Environmental Research Letters 4(4): 045206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jin, R., Zhang, T. J., Li, X., Yang, X. G., & Ran, Y. H. (2015). Mapping surface soil freeze–thaw cycles in China based on SMMR and SSM/I brightness temperatures from 1978–2008. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 47(2): 213–229.Google Scholar
Kurylyk, B. L., MacQuarrie, K. T. B., & Voss, C. I. (2014). Climate change impacts on the temperature and magnitude of groundwater discharge from shallow, unconfined aquifers. Water Resources Research 50(4): 3253–3274.Google Scholar
Kurylyk, B. L., & Watanabe, K. (2013). The mathematical representation of freezing and thawing processes in variably saturated, non-deformable soils. Advances in Water Resources 60: 160–177.Google Scholar
Li, R., Zhao, L., Ding, Y., et al. (2012). Temporal and spatial variations of the active layer alone the Qinghai–Tibetan Highway in a permafrost region. Chinese Science Bulletin 57(35): 4609–4619.Google Scholar
Liu, X., & Chen, B. (2000). Climatic warming in the Tibetan Plateau during recent decades. International Journal of Climatology 20(14): 1729–1742.Google Scholar
Liu, X. D., Cheng, Z. G., & Yan, L. B. (2009). Elevation dependency of recent and future minimum surface air temperature trends in the Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings. Global and Planetary Change 68(3): 164–174.Google Scholar
Lu, J., Zhang, M., Zhang, X., Pei, W., & Bi, J. (2018). Experimental study on the freezing–thawing deformation of a silty clay. Cold Regions Science and Technology 151: 19–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luo, D. L., Jin, H. J., Lin, L., et al. (2013). Distributive features and controlling factors of permafrost and the active layer thickness in the Bayan Har Mountains along the Qinghai-Kangding highway on Northeastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Scientia Geographica Sinica 33(5): 635–640 (In Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Luo, S., Fang, X., Lu, S., Ma, D., & Chen, H. (2016). Frozen ground temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan plateau three river source region from 1980 to 2014. Climate Research 67(3): 241–255.Google Scholar
Ma, X. B., & Hu, Z. Y. (2005). Precipitation variation characteristics and abrupt changeover Qinghai–Xizang Plateau in recent 40 year. Journal of Desert Research 25(1): 137–139 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Meehl, G. A., Washington, W. M., Arblaster, J. M., Bettge, T. W., & Strand, W. G. (2000). Anthropogenic forcing and climate system response in simulations of 20th and 21st century climate. Journal of Climate 13(21): 3728–3744.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menberg, K., Blum, P., Schaffitel, A., & Bayer, P. (2013). Long-term evolution of anthropogenic heat fluxes into a subsurface urban heat island. Environment Science and Technology 47(17): 9747–9755.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mitchell, J. F. B., Johns, T. J., Gregory, J. M., & Tett, S. F. B. (1995). Climate response to increasing level of greenhouse gases and sulphate aerosols. Nature 376: 501–504.Google Scholar
Nan, Z., Gao, Z., Li, S., & Wu, T. (2003). Permafrost changes in the northern limit of permafrost on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the last 30 years, Acta Geographica Sinica 58(6): 817–823 (In Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Nearing, M. A., Pruski, F. F., & O’Neal, M. R. (2004) Expected climate change impacts on soil erosion rates: A review. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 59(1): 43–50.Google Scholar
Özgan, E., Serin, S., Ertürk, S., & Vural, I. (2015). Effects of freezing and thawing cycles on the engineering properties of soils. Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering 52(2): 95–99.Google Scholar
Oztas, T., & Fayetorbay, F. (2003). Effect of freezing and thawing processes on soil aggregate stability. Catena 52(1): 1–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pan, B., & Li, J. (1996). Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: A driver and amplifier of the global climatic change. Journal of Lanzhou University (Natural Sciences) 32: 108–115 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Pan, W., Yu, S., Jia, H., & Liu, D. (2002). Variation of the ground temperature field in permafrost regions along the Qinghai–Tibetan railway. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology 24(6): 774–779 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Peng, J., Liu, Z., Liu, Y., Wu, J., & Han, Y. (2012). Trend analysis of vegetation dynamics in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau using Hurst Exponent. Ecological Indicators 14(1), 28–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qiu, J. (2014). Double threat for Tibet: Climate change and human development are jeopardizing the platear's fragile environment. Nature 512: 240–241.Google Scholar
Ran, Y., Li, X., & Cheng, G. (2018). Climate warming over the past half century has led to thermal degradation of permafrost on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Cryosphere 12(2): 595–608.Google Scholar
Royden, L. H., Burchfiel, B. C., & van der Hilst, R. D. (2008). The geological evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. Science 321(5892): 1054–1058.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schuur, E. A. G., McGuire, A. D., Schädel, C., et al. (2015). Climate change and the permafrost carbon feedback. Nature 520: 171–179.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shi, Y. (1992). The discussion of the grassland ecological environment maladjustment and control strategy. Qinghai Environment 1(2): 7–13 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Song, L. C., Han, Y. X., Zhang, Q., Xi, X. X., & Ye, Y. H. (2004). Monthly temporal–spatial distribution of sandstorms in China as well as the origin of Kosa in Japan and Korea. Chinese Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 28(6): 820–828 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Song, Y., Jin, L., & Wang, H. (2018). Vegetation changes along the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau engineering corridor since 2000 induced by climate change and human activities. Remote Sensing 10(1): 95–115.Google Scholar
Subin, Z. M., Koven, C. D., Riley, W. J., et al. (2013). Effects of soil moisture on the responses of soil temperatures to climate change in cold regions. Journal of Climate 26(10): 3139–3158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sun, Z. Z., Wu, G. L., Yun, H. B., Liu, G. J., & Rui, P. F. (2014). Permafrost degradation under an embankment of the Qinghai–Tibet Railway in the southern limit of permafrost. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology 36(4): 767–771 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Sun, Z. Z., Zhao, L., Hu, G., et al. (2020). Modeling permafrost changes on the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau from 1966 to 2100: A case study from two boreholes along the Qinghai–Tibet engineering corridor. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 31(1): 156–170.Google Scholar
Teng, H., Liang, Z., Chen, S., et al. (2018). Current and future assessments of soil erosion by water on the Tibetan Plateau based on RUSLE and CMIP5 climate models. Science of the Total Environment, 635: 673–686.Google Scholar
Thorsteinsson, T., Johannesson, T., & Snorrason, A. (2013). Glaciers and ice caps: Vulnerable water resources in a warming climate. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 5(6): 590–598.Google Scholar
Tong, C. J., & Wu, Q. B. (1996). The effect of climate warming on the Qinghai–Tibet Highway. Cold Region Science and Technology 24(1): 101–106.Google Scholar
Walvoord, M. A., & Kurylyk, B. L. (2016). Hydrologic impacts of thawing permafrost – A review. Vadose Zone Journal 15(6): 1–20.Google Scholar
Wang, G. X., Li, Y. S., Wu, Q. B., & Wang, Y. B. (2006). Impacts of permafrost changes on alpine ecosystem in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Science in China (series D) 49: 1156–1169.Google Scholar
Wang, G. X., Liu, G., Li, C., & Yang, Y.. (2012). The variability of soil thermal and hydrological dynamics with vegetation cover in a permafrost region. Agricultural & Forest Meteorology 162–163, 44–57.Google Scholar
Wang, L., Zhang, F., Fu, S., et al. (2020). Assessment of soil erosion risk and its response to climate change in the mid-Yarlung Tsangpo river region. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27(1): 607–621.Google Scholar
Widhalm, B., Bartsch, A., Leibman, M., & Khomutov, A. (2017). Active-layer thickness estimation from x-band SAR backscatter intensity. Cryosphere 11(1): 483–496.Google Scholar
Wu, Q., & Zhang, T. (2008). Recent permafrost warming on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Geophysics Research 113(D13): D13108.Google Scholar
Wu, Q., Zhang, T., & Liu, Y. (2010). Permafrost temperatures and thickness on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Global and Planetary Change 72(1–2): 32–38.Google Scholar
Wu, Q., Zhang, T., & Liu, Y. (2012). Thermal state of the active layer and permafrost along the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) railway from 2006 to 2010. The Cryosphere 6(3): 607–612.Google Scholar
Wu, T., Zhao, L., Li, R., et al. (2013). Recent ground surface warming and its effects on permafrost on the Central Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. International Journal of Climatology 33(4): 920–930.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xie, H., Nkonya, E., & Wielgosz, B. (2011). Technical Note: Assessing the risks of soil erosion and small reservoir siltation in a tropical river basin in Mali using the SWAT model under limited data condition. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 27(6): 895–904.Google Scholar
Xue, X., Guo, J., Han, B. S., Sun, Q. W., & Liu, L. C. (2009). The effect of climate warming and permafrost thaw on desertification in the Qing–Tibetan Plateau. Geomorphology 108(3–4): 182–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, M. X., Nelson, F., Shiklomanov, N., Guo, D., & Wan, G. (2010). Permafrost degradation and its environmental effects on the Tibetan Plateau: A review of recent research. Earth Science Review 103(1–2): 31–44.Google Scholar
Yang, M. X., Wang, S. L., Yao, T. D., et al. (2004). Desertification and its relationship with permafrost degradation in Qinghai–Xizang (Tibet) Plateau. Cold Region Science and Technology 39(1): 47–53.Google Scholar
Yang, M. X., Yao, T. D., Gou, X. H., & Wang, H. J. (2006). Effect of heavy snowfall on ground temperature, Northern Tibetan Plateau. Annals of Glaciology 43(1): 317–322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, M. X., Yao, T. D., Gou, X. H., et al. (2007). The diurnal thaw/freeze cycles of the surface ground on the Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin 52(1): 136–139.Google Scholar
Yin, G. A., Niu, F. J., Li, Z. J., Luo, J., & Liu, M. H. (2017). Effects of local factors and climate on permafrost conditions and distribution in Beiluhe basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Science of the Total Environment 581–582: 472–485.Google Scholar
Zhang, M. L., Wen, Z., & Xue, K. (2016). Temperature and deformation analysis on slope subgrade with rich moisture of Qinghai–Tibet railway in permafrost regions. Chinese Journal Rock Mechanic Engineering 35(8): 1677–1687.Google Scholar
Zhang, S. J., Lai, Y. M., Sun, Z. Z., & Gao, Z. H. (2007). Volumetric strain and strength behavior of frozen soils under confinement. Cold Regions Science and Technology 47(3): 263–270.Google Scholar
Zhang, T., Barry, R. G., Knowles, K., Heginbottom, J. A., & Brown, J. (2008). Statistics and characteristics of permafrost and ground-ice distribution in the northern hemisphere. Polar Geography 31(1–2): 47–68.Google Scholar
Zhang, Y., Wang, G., & Wang, Y. (2010). Response of biomass spatial pattern of alpine vegetation to climate change in permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China. Journal of Mountain Science 7(4): 2–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhao, J., Yu, Y., & Sun, G. (2005). Influence of frozen soil on sandstorms. Journal of Desert Research 25(5): 658–662 (in Chinese, English abstract).Google Scholar
Zhao, L., Ping, C. L., Yang, D. Q., et al. (2004). Changes of climate and seasonally frozen ground over the past 30 years in Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau, China, Global Planet. Change 43(1/2): 19–31.Google Scholar
Zhao, S., Zhang, S., Cheng, W., & Zhou, C. (2019). Model simulation and prediction of decadal mountain permafrost distribution based on remote sensing data in the Qilian mountains from the 1990s to the 2040s. Remote Sensing 11(2): 183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhu, X., Wang, W., & Fraedrich, K. (2013). Future climate in the Tibetan Plateau from a statistical regional climate model. Journal of Climate 26(24): 10125–10138.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×