Permafrost degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its environmental impacts

An increase of mean annual air temperature (MAAT) of about 0.2–0.4 °C on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau as compared with the 1970s, and especially winter warming, has resulted in extensive permafrost degradation. An increase of 0.1–0.5 °C in the mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) has been observed. Discontinuous permafrost bodies and thawed nuclei have been widely detected. The lower altitudinal limit of permafrost has risen 40–80 m on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. The total permafrost area on the Plateau has shrunk about 105 km2. Permafrost degradation has caused environmental deterioration, including the destabilization of buildings, impacted upon cold regions hydrology and water resources, and accelerated desertification.