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Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2020, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (6): 503-516.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2020.00503

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Characteristics and changes of permafrost along the engineering corridor of National Highway 214 in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Yu Sheng1,JiChun Wu1,Wei Cao1(),JianHong Fang2,AnHua Xu2,ErXing Peng1   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    2.Institute of Transportation Sciences of Qinghai Province, Xining, Qinghai 810003, China
  • Received:2020-07-24 Accepted:2020-09-03 Online:2020-12-31 Published:2021-01-14
  • Contact: Wei Cao E-mail:caowei@lzb.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41971093)

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Abstract:

Due to a series of linear projects built along National Highway 214, the second "Permafrost Engineering Corridor" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has formed. In this paper, by overcoming the problems of data decentralization and standard inconsistency, permafrost characteristics and changes along the engineering corridor are systematically summarized based on the survey and monitoring data. The results show that: 1) Being controlled by elevation, the permafrost is distributed in flake discontinuity with mountains as the center along the line. The total length of the road section in permafrost regions is 365 km, of which the total length of the permafrost section of National Highway 214 is 216.7 km, and the total length of the permafrost section of Gong-Yu Expressway is 197.3 km. The mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) is higher than -1.5 °C, and permafrost with MAGT lower than -1.5 °C is only distributed in the sections at Bayan Har Mountain and E'la Mountain. There are obvious differences in the distribution of ground ice in the different sections along the engineering corridor. The sections with high ice content are mainly located in Zuimatan, Duogerong Plain and the top of north and south slope of Bayan Har Mountain. The permafrost thickness is controlled by the ground temperature, and permafrost thickness increases with the decrease of the ground temperature, with the change rate of about 37 m/°C. 2) Local factors (topography, landform, vegetation and lithology) affect the degradation process of permafrost, and then affect the distribution, ground temperature, thickness and ice content of permafrost. Asphalt pavement has greatly changed the heat exchange balance of the original ground, resulting in serious degradation of the permafrost. Due to the influence of roadbed direction trend, the phenomenon of shady-sunny slope is very significant in most sections along the line. The warming range of permafrost under the roadbed is gradually smaller with the increase of depth, so the thawing settlement of the shallow section with high ice-content permafrost is more significant.

Key words: characteristics, changes, permafrost, engineering corridor of National Highway 214, Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Figure 1

Highway plan location map (a), highway terrain and permafrost distribution map (b)"

Table 1

Main meteorological indicators of weather stations along the engineering corridor (Average data from 1971 to 2000)"

Meteorological stationElevation (m)Air temperature (°C)Annual range (°C)Precipitation (mm)Evaporation (mm)
Xinghai3,3231.423.7353.21,526.7
Madoi4,272-3.824.3321.61,322.5
Qingshuihe4,415-4.823.7511.11,127.4

Table 2

Summary of permafrost survey data along the engineering corridor"

Data timeMileage StandardMileage rangeSurvey purposeNumber of drilling holesSurvey organization
19901990 design mileage

K346+400 to

K661+300

Repair209
19991999 mileage

K347+300 to

K636+860

Rebuild279

Engineering Survey Institute of Xining Geology and Minerals Bureau

Geology Survey Institute of Xining Building Materials Bureau

20042004 mileage

K300+100 to

K346+800

Special survey37

Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research institute, CAS

Highway Survey and Design Institute of Qinghai Province

20041999 mileage

K638+500 to

K753+500

Special survey52

Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research institute, CAS

Highway Survey and Design Institute of Qinghai Province

2009Wenquan areaBasic survey21Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research institute, CAS
2010

2010 mileage

(Gong-Yu Expressway)

K287+200 to

K698+685

Engineering investigation845

Highway Survey and Design Institute of Qinghai Province

CCCC First Highway Consultants Co. Ltd

Northwest Research Institute Co., Ltd. of C.R.E.C

Table 3

Lower limit of altitude of permafrost distribution on both sides of main mountain peaks along the engineering corridor"

Mountain peakElevation of mountain pass (m)LongitudeLatitudeSlope aspectLower limit of continuous permafrost (m)Lower limit of patchy permafrost (m)
Bayan Har Mountain4,83197°39.5′E34°07.6′NSouth4,5104,450
North4,3504,250
Changshitou Mountain4,54698°41.1′E35°03.4′NSouth
North4,3504,280
Jiangluling Mountain4,46699°18.6′E35°23.4′NWest4,3254,200
East4,340
E'la Mountain4,50199°30.6′E35°29.9′NSouth4,3004,210
North4,2503,920
Heka Mountain3,93699°54.2′E35°49.6′NSouth3,850
North

Table 4

Statistics of permafrost distribution along the road sections"

SectionMileage rangeDistance (km)TerrainLength of permafrost (km)Ratio of permafrost distribution
Total364127.860.5%
E'la Mt. Sect.K287-K33649Mountains23.447.7%
Zuimatan Sect.K336-K36428Basin17.562.3%
Changshitou Mt. Sect.K364-K41753Hills42.279.6%
Duogerong Basin Sect.K417-K47053Basin29.255.1%
Huangheyan Sect.K470-K54474Valley, Hills10.218.8%
Banyan Har Mt.K544-K61369Mountains60.888.1%
Qingshuihe Sect.K613-K67158Alluvial plain37.564.7%

Figure 2

Distribution diagram of ice type in different sections along the engineering corridor"

Figure 3

Proportion of permafrost and different ice-containing sections along the engineering corridor"

Figure 4

Ground temperature distribution along the engineering corridor"

Table 5

Ground temperature distribution statistics of high ice-content section along the engineering corridor"

SectionGround temperature range (°C)Length (km)
>-0.5-0.5 to -1.0<-1.0
Total (km)34.7344.8813.2492.45
E'la Mt. Sect.2.515.6-8.11
Zuimatan Sect.4.257.15-11.4
Changshitou Mt. Sect.7.552.7010.25
Duogerong Basin Sect.6.6815.49-22.17
Huangheyan Sect.3.68--3.68
Banyan Har Mt.1.958.6910.5421.18
Qingshuihe Sect.15.66--15.66

Figure 5

Relationship between permafrost thickness and MAGT along the engineering corridor"

Figure 6

Permafrost distribute in Qingshuihe section along the engineering corridor"

Figure 7

Ground temperature curve of natural hole K670 + 300 of National Highway 214"

Figure 8

Ground temperature curve of natural hole K416 + 300 in Huashixia, National Highway 214"

Figure 9

The variation of surface temperature in K430 + 070 section of Gong-Yu Expressway of 0.5m (a) and 5.0m (b)"

Figure 10

Variation of ground temperature on section K369 + 210 of National Highway 214. (a) Ground temperature curve of the central hole of the roadbed in different periods; (b) Heating rate at depths of 8 m and 15 m in the central hole; (c) Comparison of ground temperature at different locations in the same period"

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