Permafrost Monitoring

Abstract

The objective of this section is to describe purposes, kinds and contents of permafrost monitoring and to discuss the monitoring results. Permafrost (cryolithozone) monitoring is defined as “a standardised system of observations on the condition of geological environment in the North; a system of assessment, inspection and forecast of the environment changes occurring under the effect of natural and technogenic factors” (Pavlov, 2001). Monitored variables are water and temperature regimes of grounds, regimes of cryogenic geological processes and those of other environmental components controlling the condition of permafrost, i.e., ground waters, air temperatures, snow cover, etc. All-embracing monitoring is rare. Usually only two or three variables are monitored.