Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian Mountains
Increasing landslide activities in cold regions have been attributed to rising temperatures and consequent permafrost degradation. While previous studies have linked permafrost degradation to slope instability, the elevation-dependent effects of this degradation on landslide occurrences in the high-...
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Advances in Climate Change Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927824001758 |
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| author | Jie Chen Jing Zhang Tong-Hua Wu Lin Liu Fan-Yu Zhang Jun-Ming Hao Ling-Cao Huang Xiao-Dong Wu Peng-Ling Wang Zhuo-Xuan Xia Xiao-Fan Zhu Pei-Qing Lou |
| author_facet | Jie Chen Jing Zhang Tong-Hua Wu Lin Liu Fan-Yu Zhang Jun-Ming Hao Ling-Cao Huang Xiao-Dong Wu Peng-Ling Wang Zhuo-Xuan Xia Xiao-Fan Zhu Pei-Qing Lou |
| author_sort | Jie Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increasing landslide activities in cold regions have been attributed to rising temperatures and consequent permafrost degradation. While previous studies have linked permafrost degradation to slope instability, the elevation-dependent effects of this degradation on landslide occurrences in the high-mountain regions of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) remain poorly understood, particularly concerning their spatial distribution and timing. This study addresses this gap by investigating the distribution and timing of landslides in the Babao River catchment, located in the southeastern Qilian Mountains of the northeastern QTP. Our results reveal a substantial increase in landslide events during the study period of 2009–2018: only 14 occurrences were recorded before and in 2009, 22 between 2010 and 2015, and 105 during 2016–2018. Notably, we observed an upward shift in the elevation of landslide occurrences, with an average increase of approximately 130 m over the ten-year period. Analysis of annual permafrost distribution maps indicates that this shift coincides with the rising lower altitudinal limit of mountain permafrost in the study area, likely driven by increased temperatures and precipitation. These findings highlight the critical role of elevation-dependent processes in influencing landslide dynamics under changing climatic conditions, particularly the transition from undisturbed permafrost to seasonally frozen ground at higher elevations. This study provides valuable insights for disaster prevention and mitigation in high-altitude regions, emphasizing the heightened risks posed by permafrost degradation under ongoing warmer and wetter climatic conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-60dd4505e9af48beb6e59dc0378f3ca7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1674-9278 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Climate Change Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-60dd4505e9af48beb6e59dc0378f3ca72025-01-15T04:11:36ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Advances in Climate Change Research1674-92782024-12-0115610671077Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian MountainsJie Chen0Jing Zhang1Tong-Hua Wu2Lin Liu3Fan-Yu Zhang4Jun-Ming Hao5Ling-Cao Huang6Xiao-Dong Wu7Peng-Ling Wang8Zhuo-Xuan Xia9Xiao-Fan Zhu10Pei-Qing Lou11Cryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau, Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaKey Laboratory of Seismic and Volcanic Hazards, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, ChinaCryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau, Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Corresponding author.Earth and Environmental Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaCollege of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaInstitute of Space and Earth Information Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaCryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau, Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaNational Climate Centre, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, ChinaEarth and Environmental Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaCryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau, Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaCryosphere Research Station on the Qinghai‒Tibet Plateau, Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaIncreasing landslide activities in cold regions have been attributed to rising temperatures and consequent permafrost degradation. While previous studies have linked permafrost degradation to slope instability, the elevation-dependent effects of this degradation on landslide occurrences in the high-mountain regions of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) remain poorly understood, particularly concerning their spatial distribution and timing. This study addresses this gap by investigating the distribution and timing of landslides in the Babao River catchment, located in the southeastern Qilian Mountains of the northeastern QTP. Our results reveal a substantial increase in landslide events during the study period of 2009–2018: only 14 occurrences were recorded before and in 2009, 22 between 2010 and 2015, and 105 during 2016–2018. Notably, we observed an upward shift in the elevation of landslide occurrences, with an average increase of approximately 130 m over the ten-year period. Analysis of annual permafrost distribution maps indicates that this shift coincides with the rising lower altitudinal limit of mountain permafrost in the study area, likely driven by increased temperatures and precipitation. These findings highlight the critical role of elevation-dependent processes in influencing landslide dynamics under changing climatic conditions, particularly the transition from undisturbed permafrost to seasonally frozen ground at higher elevations. This study provides valuable insights for disaster prevention and mitigation in high-altitude regions, emphasizing the heightened risks posed by permafrost degradation under ongoing warmer and wetter climatic conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927824001758LandslideMountain permafrostGlobal warmingRemote sensingQilian Mountains |
| spellingShingle | Jie Chen Jing Zhang Tong-Hua Wu Lin Liu Fan-Yu Zhang Jun-Ming Hao Ling-Cao Huang Xiao-Dong Wu Peng-Ling Wang Zhuo-Xuan Xia Xiao-Fan Zhu Pei-Qing Lou Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian Mountains Advances in Climate Change Research Landslide Mountain permafrost Global warming Remote sensing Qilian Mountains |
| title | Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian Mountains |
| title_full | Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian Mountains |
| title_fullStr | Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian Mountains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian Mountains |
| title_short | Elevation-dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the Qilian Mountains |
| title_sort | elevation dependent shift of landslide activity in mountain permafrost regions of the qilian mountains |
| topic | Landslide Mountain permafrost Global warming Remote sensing Qilian Mountains |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927824001758 |
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