Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of Mexico
This article summarizes the thermal state of Mexican permafrost and its relationship to snow, ice, and geothermal environments. Ice-rich permafrost is observed near the summits of Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba) and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes. The lower limit of mountain permafrost is about 5,200 to 5,30...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2393956 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841543343348121600 |
|---|---|
| author | Kenji Yoshikawa Victor Soto Guillermo Ontiveros-Gonzales Samael Oliver Vagamontes Hugo Delgado Granados Lorenzo Vazquez-Selem David Palacios |
| author_facet | Kenji Yoshikawa Victor Soto Guillermo Ontiveros-Gonzales Samael Oliver Vagamontes Hugo Delgado Granados Lorenzo Vazquez-Selem David Palacios |
| author_sort | Kenji Yoshikawa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article summarizes the thermal state of Mexican permafrost and its relationship to snow, ice, and geothermal environments. Ice-rich permafrost is observed near the summits of Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba) and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes. The lower limit of mountain permafrost is about 5,200 to 5,300 m.a.s.l. much higher than originally thought. Some of the sporadic permafrost may still exist on the Little Ice Age rock glaciers, but most of the buried glacial ice between 4,500 and 5,000 m.a.s.l. is slowly decaying and not thermally stable as permafrost. During the summer months, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone approaches the Mexican highlands and provides moist conditions sufficient for snow cover at high elevations. Maximum active layer thickness occurred during the snow-free seasons, typically April to July in Citlaltépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, perhaps Popocatépetl, but not Nevado de Toluca, where the summit is below the snowline most of the time today. The diurnal temperature amplitude results in freeze–thaw cycles only near the surface to 15 cm. The importance of the snow cover is that it provides great protection for incoming solar energy penetration, helping to preserve buried glacial ice and permafrost. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-de1b85b7afe4453d9207e3fd46c0db04 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1523-0430 1938-4246 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-de1b85b7afe4453d9207e3fd46c0db042025-01-13T14:40:40ZengTaylor & Francis GroupArctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research1523-04301938-42462024-12-0156110.1080/15230430.2024.2393956Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of MexicoKenji Yoshikawa0Victor Soto1Guillermo Ontiveros-Gonzales2Samael Oliver Vagamontes3Hugo Delgado Granados4Lorenzo Vazquez-Selem5David Palacios6Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USACentro de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Veracruzana, Veracruz, MexicoInstituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, CDMX, MexicoClub Brujos de la Montaña, Mexico City, MexicoInstituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, CDMX, MexicoInstituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, MexicoDepartment of Geography, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, SpainThis article summarizes the thermal state of Mexican permafrost and its relationship to snow, ice, and geothermal environments. Ice-rich permafrost is observed near the summits of Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba) and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes. The lower limit of mountain permafrost is about 5,200 to 5,300 m.a.s.l. much higher than originally thought. Some of the sporadic permafrost may still exist on the Little Ice Age rock glaciers, but most of the buried glacial ice between 4,500 and 5,000 m.a.s.l. is slowly decaying and not thermally stable as permafrost. During the summer months, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone approaches the Mexican highlands and provides moist conditions sufficient for snow cover at high elevations. Maximum active layer thickness occurred during the snow-free seasons, typically April to July in Citlaltépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, perhaps Popocatépetl, but not Nevado de Toluca, where the summit is below the snowline most of the time today. The diurnal temperature amplitude results in freeze–thaw cycles only near the surface to 15 cm. The importance of the snow cover is that it provides great protection for incoming solar energy penetration, helping to preserve buried glacial ice and permafrost.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2393956Tropical permafrostpermafrost lower limitfreeze–thaw cyclesactive layerMexican permafrost |
| spellingShingle | Kenji Yoshikawa Victor Soto Guillermo Ontiveros-Gonzales Samael Oliver Vagamontes Hugo Delgado Granados Lorenzo Vazquez-Selem David Palacios Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of Mexico Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research Tropical permafrost permafrost lower limit freeze–thaw cycles active layer Mexican permafrost |
| title | Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of Mexico |
| title_full | Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of Mexico |
| title_fullStr | Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of Mexico |
| title_short | Thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of Mexico |
| title_sort | thermal state of permafrost in the high mountains of mexico |
| topic | Tropical permafrost permafrost lower limit freeze–thaw cycles active layer Mexican permafrost |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15230430.2024.2393956 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kenjiyoshikawa thermalstateofpermafrostinthehighmountainsofmexico AT victorsoto thermalstateofpermafrostinthehighmountainsofmexico AT guillermoontiverosgonzales thermalstateofpermafrostinthehighmountainsofmexico AT samaelolivervagamontes thermalstateofpermafrostinthehighmountainsofmexico AT hugodelgadogranados thermalstateofpermafrostinthehighmountainsofmexico AT lorenzovazquezselem thermalstateofpermafrostinthehighmountainsofmexico AT davidpalacios thermalstateofpermafrostinthehighmountainsofmexico |