Permafrost and periglacial processes in mid‐ and low‐latitude mountain regions

Abstract

The Special Issue that justifies this Editorial has been designed to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the first Spanish scientific meeting of the International Permafrost Association organized in 1994 in Madrid. This Special Issue, entitled “Permafrost and periglacial processes in mid‐ and low‐latitude mountains regions,” includes nine papers from various mountain regions around the world, such as the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada, Galician and Cantabrian Mountains in the Iberian Peninsula, Atacama and Central Andes in South America, Absaroka ranges in North America, and Seckauer Tauern Range in the European Alps. These articles provide new methodologies and approaches focusing on a wide range of periglacial phenomena, such as past cryogenic environments, active periglacial processes, permafrost and ground thermal regime, as well as rock glaciers. As a result of this Special Issue, we have detected several knowledge gaps that should be addressed in the future by the scientific community studying permafrost and periglacial processes in mid‐ and low‐latitude mountains regions, namely: (a) improving the geochronology of past periglacial environments and associated paleoclimatic implications; (b) the study of periglacial features existing in low‐altitude mountain environments and/or in the lowlands; (c) improve our current knowledge of active periglacial processes, permafrost distribution and ground thermal regime in mid‐altitude mountains; (d) the monitoring of periglacial mass wasting processes and mechanisms of sediment transfer; (e) the interaction between glaciers and periglacial processes; and (f) geoecological dynamics in response to climate scenarios anticipating significant changes of temperature and moisture in periglacial regions.

Permafrost Hydrology Research Domain: Process-Based Adjustment

“…Mountains may host permafrost patches outside cold climate regions, hosting a variety of periglacial processes [110]. Even in the absence of glaciers, mountain permafrost may significantly influence the hydrological response in this highly dynamic environment, but has still received limited attention.…”

Study on the Damage of Permafrost to Tower Foundations in Permafrost Regions

“…The freeze-thaw cycle of frozen soil can cause seasonal changes in soil resistivity [1][2]. The sudden increase in winter and spring can lead to an increase in tower grounding resistance, even exceeding the standard limit, seriously affecting the safety of equipment and maintenance personnel [3][4][5].…”

Preliminary Investigation of the Remnants of Low-Latitude Glacial Activity on the Southeastern Margin of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

“…Among the mountains on the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the glacial relics provide the most valuable information for a detailed analysis of glacial development in relation to climate and tectonics [18][19][20]. Specifically, the glacial relics at lower latitudes exhibit highly sensitive climate response characteristics and offer more precise records of climate change during the Quaternary period [21]. However, many low-latitude glacial relics in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau have either been destroyed or remain undiscovered due to weathering and erosion.…”