Spatial Distribution of Permafrost in the Xing’an Mountains of Northeast China from 2001 to 2018

Abstract

Permafrost is a key element of the cryosphere and sensitive to climate change. High-resolution permafrost map is important to environmental assessment, climate modeling, and engineering application. In this study, to estimate high-resolution Xing’an permafrost map (up to 1 km2), we employed the surface frost number (SFN) model and ground temperature at the top of permafrost (TTOP) model for the 2001–2018 period, driven by remote sensing data sets (land surface temperature and land cover). Based on the comparison of the modeling results, it was found that there was no significant difference between the two models. The performances of the SFN model and TTOP model were evaluated by using a published permafrost map. Based on statistical analysis, both the SFN model and TTOP model efficiently estimated the permafrost distribution in Northeast China. The extent of Xing’an permafrost distribution simulated by the SFN model and TTOP model were 6.88 × 105 km2 and 6.81 × 105 km2, respectively. Ground-surface characteristics were introduced into the permafrost models to improve the performance of models. The results provided a basic reference for permafrost distribution research at the regional scale.