THE ROLE OF PERMAFROST IN THE FORMATION OF THE HYDROLOGICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL REGIME OF RIVER MOUTHS IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN WATERSHED AREA

The paper presents an analysis of hydrologic characteristics of 20 rivers flowing in permafrost zone. All river mouths under consideration are located in continuous permafrost. It is revealed that annual sediment discharge of the Mackenzie and Yukon rivers is several times greater than the ones of the rest of the permafrost zone rivers. The correlation coefficient between water flow and sediment of the rivers, excluding the Yukon and the Mackenzie, is approximately 0.8. The observed steady increase in the water flow in the in permafrost zone rivers in the last 50 years suggests a growth in the sediment flow in the river mouths of the area. To clarify the cause of the abnormally large sediment discharge of the Yukon and the Mackenzie, a brief review of climate change studies in the circumpolar region is provided. Changes in air temperature and soil are given. To assess the changes in the properties of frozen soils and the possible migration of the southern boundary of the permafrost to the north, data are given on the change in the depth of seasonal thawing of soil in the permafrost zone. The migration of the southern boundary of the permafrost soils distribution and its role in the formation of easily eroded soils on the catchment surface are discussed. A comparative analysis of the section lengths of rivers located in permafrost zones of various types is carried out to determine their impact on the sediment discharge in the Arctic river mouths.

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