The Variability in the Thermophysical Properties of Soils for Sustainability of the Industrial-Affected Zone of the Siberian Arctic

Tatiana V. Ponomareva, Kirill Yu. Litvintsev, Konstantin A. Finnikov, Nikita D. Yakimov, Georgii E. Ponomarev and Evgenii I. Ponomarev ()
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Tatiana V. Ponomareva: V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
Kirill Yu. Litvintsev: Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
Konstantin A. Finnikov: Institute of Engineering Physics and Radio Electronics, Department of Thermophysics, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660074, Russia
Nikita D. Yakimov: Laboratory of Remote Sensing Systems, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia
Georgii E. Ponomarev: Institute of Ecology and Geography, Department of Ecology and Environment, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russia
Evgenii I. Ponomarev: V.N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-23

Abstract: The sustainability of Arctic ecosystems that are extremely vulnerable is contingent upon the state of cryosoils. Understanding the principles of ecosystem stability in permafrost conditions, particularly under external natural or human-induced influences, necessitates an examination of the thermal and moisture regimes of the seasonally thawed soil layer. The study concentrated on the variability in the soil’s thermophysical properties in Central Siberia’s permafrost zone (the northern part of Krasnoyarsk Region, Taimyr, Russia). In the industrially affected area of interest, we evaluated and contrasted the differences in the thermophysical properties of soils between two opposing types of landscapes. On the one hand, these are soils that are characteristic of the natural landscape of flat shrub tundra, with a well-developed moss–lichen cover. An alternative is the soils in the landscape, which have exhibited significant degradation in the vegetation cover due to both natural and human-induced factors. The heat-insulating properties of background areas are controlled by the layer of moss and shrubs, while its disturbance determines the excessive heating of the soil at depth. In comparison to the background soil characteristics, degradation of on-ground vegetation causes the active layer depth of the soils to double and the temperature gradient to decrease. With respect to depth, we examine the changes in soil temperature and heat flow dynamics ( q , W/m 2 ). The ranges of thermal conductivity ( λ , W/(m∙K)) were assessed using field-measured temperature profiles and heat flux values in the soil layers. The background soil was discovered to have lower thermal conductivity values, which are typical of organic matter, in comparison to the soil of the transformed landscape. Thermal diffusivity coefficients for soil layers were calculated using long-term temperature monitoring data. It is shown that it is possible to use an adjusted model of the thermal conductivity coefficient to reconstruct the dynamics of moisture content from temperature dynamics data. A satisfactory agreement is shown when the estimated ( W c a l c , %) and observed ( W e x p , %) moisture content values in the soil layer are compared. The findings will be employed to regulate the effects on landscapes in order to implement sustainable nature management in the region, thereby preventing the significant degradation of ecosystems and the concomitant risks to human well-being.

Keywords: soils of permafrost zone; landscape state; industrial-affected territory; thermal characteristics; soil properties; heat flow; thermal conductivity; permafrost zone; sustainability of ecosystems; Siberia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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