IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/perpro/v35y2024i2p125-142.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Advances in retrogressive thaw slump research in permafrost regions

Author

Listed:
  • Yuan Li
  • Youqian Liu
  • Ji Chen
  • Haiming Dang
  • Shouhong Zhang
  • Qihang Mei
  • Jingyi Zhao
  • Jinchang Wang
  • Tianchun Dong
  • Yaojun Zhao

Abstract

A retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) is a slope failure formed by slope thaw settlement and retrogressive slump following the thawing of ice‐rich permafrost or the melting of massive ice. Here, we review recent literature on RTSs, one of the main geomorphological landscapes developed in the process of permafrost degradation. The main topics are as follows: development and temporal evolution, mechanisms and processes, influencing factors, evaluation susceptibility and calculation, and assessment of engineering and environmental impacts. There has been a rapid increase in the number and distribution area of RTSs over permafrost in recent years. Climate warming events, extreme rainfall, forest fires, bank and coast erosion, and anthropogenic activity are the primary factors leading to RTSs in permafrost regions, disrupting the initial hydrothermal equilibrium of permafrost slopes. This causes a rise in ground temperature and the thaw of ice‐rich permafrost. Meltwater seeps down and collects on the ice surface, weakening freeze–thaw interface shear resistance and resulting in soil collapse. The development of RTSs may last several decades or longer. RTSs destabilize infrastructure, destroy vegetation, boost soil erosion and land desertification, alter the environment of nearby waters, and increase emissions of some major greenhouse gases. Numerous methods have been developed and adopted to explore RTSs, including geographic information systems (GIS) and equilibrium, numerical, and reliability analysis methods. However, research on formation mechanisms and processes, quantitative prediction, engineering and environmental influences, and mitigative measures of RTSs under a warming climate are still inadequate. Existing research methods, such as numerical simulations, remote sensing, airborne ground‐based geophysical surveys, investigations and mapping, and hydrothermal and deformation field monitoring, should be systematically integrated. Additionally, equipment for laboratory testing and numerical models for simulating RTSs may need to be timely introduced and better developed.

Suggested Citation

  • Yuan Li & Youqian Liu & Ji Chen & Haiming Dang & Shouhong Zhang & Qihang Mei & Jingyi Zhao & Jinchang Wang & Tianchun Dong & Yaojun Zhao, 2024. "Advances in retrogressive thaw slump research in permafrost regions," Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(2), pages 125-142, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:perpro:v:35:y:2024:i:2:p:125-142
    DOI: 10.1002/ppp.2218
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2218
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/ppp.2218?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. T. E. Osterkamp & V. E. Romanovsky, 1999. "Evidence for warming and thawing of discontinuous permafrost in Alaska," Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(1), pages 17-37, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. F. Nelson & O. Anisimov & N. Shiklomanov, 2002. "Climate Change and Hazard Zonation in the Circum-Arctic Permafrost Regions," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 26(3), pages 203-225, July.
    2. Lucash, Melissa S. & Marshall, Adrienne M. & Weiss, Shelby A. & McNabb, John W. & Nicolsky, Dmitry J. & Flerchinger, Gerald N. & Link, Timothy E. & Vogel, Jason G. & Scheller, Robert M. & Abramoff, Ro, 2023. "Burning trees in frozen soil: Simulating fire, vegetation, soil, and hydrology in the boreal forests of Alaska," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 481(C).
    3. Komi S Messan & Robert M Jones & Stacey J Doherty & Karen Foley & Thomas A Douglas & Robyn A Barbato, 2020. "The role of changing temperature in microbial metabolic processes during permafrost thaw," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-20, April.
    4. Julia Bosiö & Margareta Johansson & Terry Callaghan & Bernt Johansen & Torben Christensen, 2012. "Future vegetation changes in thawing subarctic mires and implications for greenhouse gas exchange—a regional assessment," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 379-398, November.
    5. Yi-ping Fang & Fu-biao Zhu & Shu-hua Yi & Xiao-ping Qiu & Yong-jiang Ding, 2021. "Ecological carrying capacity of alpine grassland in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau based on the structural dynamics method," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 12550-12578, August.
    6. Seth William Campbell & Martin Briggs & Samuel G. Roy & Thomas A. Douglas & Stephanie Saari, 2021. "Ground‐penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction, terrain, and vegetation observations coupled with machine learning to map permafrost distribution at Twelvemile Lake, Alaska," Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(3), pages 407-426, July.
    7. Jambaljav Yamkhin & Gansukh Yadamsuren & Temuujin Khurelbaatar & Tsogt‐Erdene Gansukh & Undrakhtsetseg Tsogtbaatar & Saruulzaya Adiya & Amarbayasgalan Yondon & Dashtseren Avirmed & Sharkhuu Natsagdorj, 2022. "Spatial distribution mapping of permafrost in Mongolia using TTOP," Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(4), pages 386-405, October.
    8. Ilmo T. Kukkonen & Elli Suhonen & Ekaterina Ezhova & Hanna Lappalainen & Victor Gennadinik & Olga Ponomareva & Andrey Gravis & Victoria Miles & Markku Kulmala & Vladimir Melnikov & Dmitry Drozdov, 2020. "Observations and modelling of ground temperature evolution in the discontinuous permafrost zone in Nadym, north‐west Siberia," Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(2), pages 264-280, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:perpro:v:35:y:2024:i:2:p:125-142. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1530 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.