Affiliation:
1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
2. Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education) College of Earth and Environmental Sciences Observation and Research Station on Eco‐Environment of Frozen Ground in the Qilian Mountains Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
3. Institute of Space and Earth Information Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
4. State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
Abstract
AbstractRetrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs), formed by abrupt degradation of ice‐rich permafrost, are widely distributed on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, causing infrastructure damage and enhancing soil carbon emissions. We compiled annual RTS inventories across the plateau from 2016 to 2022 using a deep‐learning‐aided method to quantify the spatial‐temporal variations. We found that RTS‐affected locations increased from 1,592 to 3,805 in 2016–2022, which increased affected areas by 2.8 times from 1,714 to 6,507 ha. The most active initiation and expansion periods were in 2016–2017 and 2018–2019. RTSs tend to be clustered, showing local heterogeneity among clusters characterized by various responses toward high temperatures and precipitation and tendencies to be on different topography and vegetation types. This research reveals the rapid development, wide distribution and regional heterogeneity of RTS activities, serving as a crucial step toward understanding how RTSs respond to climate change and regional environmental varieties.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)