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Factors influencing thermokarst lake development in Beiluhe basin, the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

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Abstract

Thermokarst lake is a significant indicator of permafrost degradation. However, the evaluation of thermokarst lake development is very difficult through physical mechanism analysis because the development is influenced by many factors. In the present study, the factors influencing thermokarst lake development were investigated from the perspective of frozen soil and the geographical environment. The influences of six factors on thermokarst lake development in Beiluhe basin, located in the hinterland of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, were analyzed: permafrost type, ground temperature, vegetation type, soil type, hydrogeological type, and slope. Sensitivity coefficients were calculated for these factors using statistical methods. The results show that thermokarst lake development was influenced by the analyzed factors as follows: permafrost > soil type > ground temperature > hydrogeological type. Furthermore, 80.1% of the study area was highly sensitive to thermokarst lake development. Overall, thermokarst lake development in the Beiluhe basin was thoroughly evaluated based on sensitivity factors and an established statistical evaluation method. The method detailed in this paper provides a reference for evaluating the likelihood and severity of thermokarst lake development.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the China International Postdoctoral Exchange Fellowship Program 2016, which was supported by the office of the China Postdoctoral Council. This study was also supported by the State Key Program of National Natural Science of China (Grant No. 41730640).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Intelligent Transport Systems Research Center, Engineering Research Center for Transportation Safety, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Research Center for Water Transport Safety, Wuhan University of Technology, 1040 Heping Avenue, Wuhan, 430063, Hubei, China

    Huini Wang

  2. School of Civil Engineering and Urban Construction, Jiujiang University, 551 East Qianjin Road, Jiujiang, 332000, China

    Hongjia Liu

  3. Geological Engineering and Survey Institute, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Wankui Ni

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  1. Huini Wang
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  2. Hongjia Liu
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  3. Wankui Ni
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Correspondence to Huini Wang.

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Wang, H., Liu, H. & Ni, W. Factors influencing thermokarst lake development in Beiluhe basin, the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Environ Earth Sci 76, 816 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-7143-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-7143-2

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