FORMATION OF FROST BOILS IN PEAT PLATEAU OF THE PUR-TAZ INTERFLUVE AT THE BACKGROUND OF MODERN CLIMATE WARMING

© 2019 E. S. Koroleva¹·²·*, Ya. V. Tikhonravova¹, V. P. Mel’nikov¹·²·³·⁴, E. A. Slagoda¹·²·³, 
E. A. Babkina¹ , V. I. Butakov¹
¹Institute of the Earth’s Cryosphere, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences,
ul. Malygina, 86, Tyumen, 625026 Russia
*E-mail: koroleva_katy@inbox.ru
²Tyumen Industrial University,
ul. Volodarskogo, 38, Tyumen, 625000 Russia
³Tyumen State University,
ul. Volodarskogo, 6, Tyumen, 625000 Russia
⁴Tyumen Scientific Center, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences,
ul. Malygina, 86, Tyumen, 625026 Russia

In 2016-2017, we have detected numerous organic frost boils on the surface of khasyrey peat plateau in the southern tundra part of Pur-Taz interfluve (the north of West Siberia). They are related to the microrelief depressions in polygons and to the swales between tussocks. Cross-sections, cryogenic structure, properties of peat in active layer (moisture, density, heaving, chemical composition) and peat distribution within the khasyreys were studied. In the active layer, we distinguished soil and vegetation cover, upper and middle solid layers of weakly decomposed peat, lower layer of a well decomposed peat. Under the microrelief depressions, the top of permafrost is lowered, thickness and moisture of decomposed peat is increased due to the recent thawing in comparison to the elevated parts of polygons. In the cross-sections of seasonally thawing peat, we determined injections of organic matter from the lower layer of peat to the surface. We propose the mechanism of organic frost boils formation in peat plateau due to the injections during the summer seasons of 2016-2018 against the increase of a thaw depth without freezing. During the observation period, the amount of frost boils on polygonal peat plateau was found to increase.

Keywords: peat plateau, active layer, frost boils, climatic conditions.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31857/S0869-78092019642-51

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