Formation and preservation processes of mountain permafrost in Tateyama Mountains, the northern Japanese Alps, central Japan

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  • FUKUI Kotaro
    National Institute of Polar Research, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Research

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  • 立山での山岳永久凍土の形成維持機構
  • タテヤマ デ ノ サンガク エイキュウ トウド ノ ケイセイ イジ キコウ

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Abstract

Tateyama Mountains has a unique climate. Northwesterly winds accompanying a winter monsoon cause a large amount of snow, which accumulates to depths of a few decameters on the leeside slopes of mountain crests, while the polar front causes a large amount of rain from June to mid-July (summer rainy season) . Previous studies suggested that permafrost is stable in the north-facing slope of Kuranosuke Cirque, where snow cover remains until August or September, while it is absent on the mountain crest, where snow disappears by June. However, little is known about formation and preservation processes of permafrost in Tateyama Mountains. The aims of this study were to clarify the formation and preservation processes of permafrost under deep snow and heavy rainfall conditions in the Tateyama Mountains.<BR>Subsurface temperatures down to 2.2 m were monitored in the north-facing slope of Kuranosuke Cirque from October 2000 to September 2002 (P site) . Subsurface temperatures to 1.8 m depth, soil water content, and precipitation were monitored on the mountain crest above the Kuranosuke Cirque from June 2001 to September 2002 (NP site) .<BR>In the Tateyama Mountains, heavy rainfall occurs several times during the summer rainy season (June-July), and NP site is stripped of snow cover by June. The rapid melting of seasonal ground frost at this site involves heat transport by the percolation of warm rainwater during the summer rainy season; thus, permafrost is absent at NP site. Simultaneously, at P site, rapid ground freezing in early winter and continued subsurface cooling under thick snow cover throughout the winter generate a deep frost layer. Snow cover lingers until late summer and prevents the percolation of warm rainwater that would otherwise accelerate melting of the frozen layer. Therefore, deep snow cover makes P site favorable for permafrost.

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