Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2015, Vol. 7 ›› Issue (5): 554-559.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2015.00554

• ARTICLES • Previous Articles    

Effect of climate change and railway embankment on the degradation of underlain permafrost

ZhiWen Xiong1,2, YongPeng Yang1,2, ZhaoRong Zhu1,2, XiangQing Zhao1,2, HanCheng Cai1,2   

  1. 1. Northwest Research Institute Co. Ltd. of CREC, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    2. Qinghai Province Key Laboratory of Permafrost and Environmental Engineering, Golmud, Qinghai 816000, China
  • Received:2015-02-26 Revised:2015-04-22 Published:2018-11-23
  • Contact: Ph.D., ZhiWen Xiong, Northwest Research Institute, Co. Ltd. of CREC, East Minzhu Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. E-mail: xiongzw@163.com E-mail:xiongzw@163.com

Abstract: Because of the global warming and the increasing human activity, the air temperature and the precipitation along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway increased gradually in recent years, which endanger the permafrost table, the embankment of the railway. The statistics of the air temperature, the precipitation and the geothermal temperature in recent 50 years in this dissertation come from the four weather station along the railway, that are Wudaoliang Station, Fenghuo Mountains Station, Tuotuo River Station and Ando Station. This dissertation analyzes the change of climate along the railway and then develops a research on the effect of the changing geothermal temperature on permafrost table and its countermeasures. The experiment result shows that the air temperature of the permafrost region rise steadily in about 50 years, especially in this century, the tendency of rising temperature is more obvious. The precipitation fluctuates but it is also rising rapidly, for the largest precipitation reached 492.6 mm. For 30 years now, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been in the megathermal period, which also affects the permafrost region along the railway. The condition of permafrost is degrading greatly.

Key words: Qinghai-Tibet Railway, climate change, permafrost change, countermeasures

Alley RB, Berntsen T, Bindoff NL, et al., 2007. Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis: Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Ding JK, Han LW, Yang YP, 2011. Permafrost and Railway Engineering. Beijing: China Railway Publishing House.
Han LW, Xue CX, 2006. Research on meteorology, permafrost and engineering integrated monitoring in permafrost area in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Lanzhou: Northwest Research Institute Co., Ltd. of China Railway Engineering Corporation.
Hu DH, 2006. Water disaster type in permafrost area on Qinghai-Tibet Railway and its preventive measure. Journal of Railway Engineering Society, 5: 7-12.
Li Y, 2006. Change trend analysis of air temperatures and ground temperature in Fenghuoshan Mountain Area in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Journal of Lanzhou University, 42: 6-8.
Li Y, Han LW, 2009. Research report of ground temperature field of permafrost along Qinghai-Tibet Railway under the operating conditions. Northwest Research Institute Co., Ltd. of China Railway Engineering Corporation, Lanzhou.
Li YQ, 2008. Study on state of subgrade engineering in permafrost region during operation period of Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Lanzhou University.
Qin DH, 2002. Assessment of Environmental Change in Western China. Beijing: Science Press.
Qin DH, Ding YH, Su JL, et al., 2005. Climate and Environmental Changes in China (Volume I): Varian of Climate and Environment and Its Forecast. Beijing: Science Press.
Shang JH, 2004. Engineering measures of protecting the subgrade stability in permafrost regions. Subgrade Engineering, 5: 36-39.
Shen YP, Wang GY, 2013. Key findings and assessment results of IPCC WGI Fifth Assessment Report. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 35(5): 1068-1076.
Xiong ZW, Yang YP, 2010. Permafrost zone roadbed disease investigation and remediation measures in the study under operating conditions. Lanzhou: Northwest Research Institute Co., Ltd. of China Railway Engineering Corporation.
Zhang LX, Xiong ZW, Han LW, 2011. Permafrost and Permafrost Engineering Environment. Beijing: People's Publishing House.
Zhou YW, Guo DX, Cheng GD, et al., 2000. Geocryology in China. Beijing: Science Press.
Zhu ZR, Li Y, 2011. The characteristics of precipitation in permafrost region along Qinghai-Tibet Railway during last thirty years. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology, 33(4): 846-849.
Zhu ZR, Li Y, 2014. PROBES climate change and permafrost characteristics of the study. Lanzhou: Northwest Research Institute Co., Ltd. of China Railway Engineering Corporation, 2014.
[1] Stuart A. Harris, HuiJun Jin, RuiXia He, SiZhong Yang. Tessellons, topography, and glaciations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2018, 10(3): 187-206.
[2] ZuHan Liu, JianHua Xu, WeiHong Li. Complex network analysis of climate change in the Tarim River Basin, Northwest China [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2017, 9(5): 476-487.
[3] Sanjaya Gurung, Bikas C. Bhattarai, Rijan B. Kayastha, Dorothea Stumm, Sharad P. Joshi, Pradeep K. Mool. Study of annual mass balance (2011-2013) of Rikha Samba Glacier, Hidden Valley, Mustang,Nepal [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(4): 311-318.
[4] Wei Liu, ZongXing Li, Meng Zhu, XiaoYan Guo, LiJuan Chen. Temperature and precipitation changes in Extensive Hexi Region, China, 1960-2011 [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(3): 212-226.
[5] Jie Xue, JiaQiang Lei, DongWei Gui, JianPing Zhao, DongLei Mao, Jie Zhou. Synchronism of runoff response to climate change in Kaidu River Basin in Xinjiang, Northwest China [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(1): 82-94.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited

  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!