Degradation of ice-rich deposits of Eastern Chukotka coastal plains during contemporary climate conditions

Abstract. The study is devoted to assessing the current and forecasted degradation rates of ice-rich deposits and massive ice beds of Eastern Chukotka coastal plains. The dynamics of ALT and soil surface lowering rate were analyzed at the sites for active layer thickness (ALT) monitoring within CALM program (Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring). An irreversible process of lowering the surface was revealed. It facilitates gully development and the formation of cryogenic landslides. The results of shallow core drilling in the summer of 2019 made it possible to estimate the ice content of near-surface permafrost deposits and to correct the existing forecasts of ALT dynamics in accordance with climate change scenarios.

Keywords: Chukotka, permafrost, active layer, transient horizon, massive ice, climate change

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