Geocryological Zones Of Antarctica (Abstract only)

Abstract

Criteria for the determination of geocryological zones are: (1) distribution of permafrost, (2) the mean annual temperature of permafrost, (3) thickness of the active layer, (4) types of ground ice and ice content of permafrost, (5) regularities of cryogenic structure, (6) cryogenic phenomena, and (7) types of cryogenic relief.

Interpretation of the available data allows us to delineate the following geocryological zones in the Antarctic: (1) sub-Antarctic islands, (2) coastalcontinental, and (3) intercontinental. The brief general geocryological characteristic of these zones is given in the paper.

The sub-Antarctic island zone features discontinuous and continuous permafrost. The mean annual temperature of the permafrost is near 0°C and the maximum thickness is several tens of metres. The seasonal thawed zone has a thickness of 0.4 to 1.2 m. There are visible ice inclusions and very small ice forms in the permafrost and seasonal frost. Frost action causes frost sorting, hill - slope forms, and thermokarst. Ice-wedges are not found in the sub-Antarctic zone.

The coastal-continental zone has continuous permafrost. The mean annual temperature of the permafrost therejs -1°C in the Antarctic Peninsula and up to -5 to -7°C in East Antarctica. Maximum thickness of the permafrost is over 100 m and the active layer is 0.3 to 1 m. The ground ice is mainly pore ice but in some places there is buried glacier ice in moraine. Frost action, frost sorting, creep, nivation, and pre-glacial slope forms are developed in the coastalcontinental zone.

The intercontinental zone consists of continuous permafrost only. The mean annual temperature of the permafrost there is -10°C or lower. Thickness of this permafrost is several hundreds of metres and of the active layer is 0.1 to 0.5 m. The ice content is low with only small ice forms. The cryogenic structure of the permafrost is the same as the coastal-continental zone. Because alternate freezing and thawing is infrequent in the intercontinental zone all cryogenic processes are less rapid than in the other zones. Thermokarst is not found there and 1n general the intercontinental zone is not as well studied as the two other zones.