Definition
Talik refers to a layer or body of unfrozen ground occurring in permafrost regions due to a local anomaly in thermal, hydrological, hydrogeological, or hydrochemical conditions (van Everdingen, 1998/2005). This definition has no time restraint; any layer or body of unfrozen ground for a certain period of time in permafrost regions can be classified as a talik, such as an active layer over permafrost, which is unfrozen ground in summer; however, such a layer is not a talik. With some modification, talik is defined as a layer or body of unfrozen ground existing continuously for more than a year in permafrost region. In Russian and Chinese literature, talik mainly refers to unfrozen ground for more than a year in continuous permafrost regions. When the area of unfrozen ground appears to be comparable with or larger than the area of frozen ground, the unfrozen ground is termed as a talik zone.
Talik types
According to its temperature, taliks can be classified into two major...
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Bibliography
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Zhang, T. (2011). Talik. In: Singh, V.P., Singh, P., Haritashya, U.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_563
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2642-2_563
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