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Freeze‐thaw activity and some of its geomorphic implications in the abisko mountains, Swedish Lappland
Author(s) -
Nyberg Rolf
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
permafrost and periglacial processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-1530
pISSN - 1045-6740
DOI - 10.1002/ppp.3430040104
Subject(s) - solifluction , frost weathering , geology , bedrock , frost (temperature) , permafrost , altitude (triangle) , debris , frost heaving , geomorphology , snow , physical geography , hydrology (agriculture) , glacial period , geotechnical engineering , soil science , soil water , geography , oceanography , geometry , mathematics
Freeze‐thaw activity was studied at two mountain sites in Swedish Lappland, a debris‐mantled slope with small rockwalls at 1200 m altitude and a solifluction slope at 1050 m altitude. During the snow‐free period, there was a low intensity of short‐term frost cycles at the rockwall site, implying that current frost shattering of bedrock is mainly due to the annual freeze cycle. At the solifluction site, during a period with net surficial soil movements of up to 3 cm, short‐term frost cycles were absent below 0.1 m depth in the ground, suggesting a dominance of pure solifluction over frost creep. A considerable variability in near‐ground temperatures implies that in situ measurements, rather than meteorological screen data, are essential in assessments of frost action in high mountain terrain.