thermokarst

thermokarst

      land-surface configuration that results from the melting of ground ice in a region underlain by permafrost. In areas that have appreciable amounts of ice, small pits, valleys, and hummocks are formed when the ice melts and the ground settles unevenly. The size and form of the features depends on the nature and extent of the ice. In general, regional thermokarst activity indicates an overall warming of the climate, whereas localized thermokarst forms may be caused by the movement of heavy vehicles or the construction of buildings over permafrost, the introduction of agriculture, or deforestation. Individual features have no characteristics that are exclusively due to thermokarst activity, and they are hard to distinguish from those formed by other means. Features resulting from the melting of dead glacial ice are not classified as thermokarst forms.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Thermokarst — refers to a land surface that forms as ice rich permafrost melts. It occurs extensively in Arctic areas, and on a smaller scale in mountainous areas such as the Himalayas and the Swiss Alps. The name is given to very irregular surfaces of marshy… …   Wikipedia

  • Thermokarst — Als Thermokarst wird ein Landformungsprozess in Periglazialgebieten durch auftauende Dauerfrostböden bezeichnet. Die ursprüngliche Herleitung des Begriffes Thermokarst kommt von der gewissen Ähnlichkeit der entstehenden Landformen mit dem… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thermokarst — En géomorphologie, le terme thermokarst (synonyme : cryokarst) désigne : un modelé caractérisé par des dépressions (par exemple, un alass) et des affaissements de terrain dus au tassement du sol consécutif de la fonte de la glace du… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thermokarst — Thẹrmokarst,   Kryokarst, Pseudokarst, kessel oder rinnenartige, oft wassererfüllte Hohlformen an der Oberfläche von Dauerfrostbodengebieten, bedingt durch das Auftauen von Eiskeilen und Eislinsen. Thermokarst wird oft durch anthropogene… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • thermokarst pit —    Steep walled depression formed by thermokarst processes [10] …   Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology

  • thermokarst — noun /ˌθɜː(ɹ).mʊəˈkɑː(ɹ)st/ A region similar in appearance to karst topography, characterized by an irregular land surface, with bogs, pits, and other depressions, formed in areas of permafrost due to ice melting …   Wiktionary

  • thermokarst —   in periglacial areas, the melting of ground ice causes subsidence and creates a very uneven surface …   Geography glossary

  • thermokarst —    1. A pitted periglacial or former periglacial surface in superficial deposits, produced by settling or caving of the ground after melting of ground ice [10].    2. A term applied to topographic depressions in karstic terranes resulting from… …   Lexicon of Cave and Karst Terminology

  • thermokarst —    Karst like topographic features produced in a permafrost region by local melting of ground ice and subsequent settling of the ground.    GG …   Glossary of landform and geologic terms

  • thermokarst — [ θə:mə(ʊ)kα:st] noun Geology a periglacial landscape resembling karst, resulting from the selective melting of permafrost …   English new terms dictionary

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