Report of Planning Workshop on MAIRS Mountain Zone Implementation Page: 23
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PROPOSED PROJECTS FOR THE MAIRS MOUNTAIN ZONE I
degrading significantly as global warming continues. The high-altitude plateau areas of Tibet, as well as the high
mountain regions of the Hindu Kush, Himalaya and Mongolia, will continue to have degradation of permafrost
that will result in a variety of problems, including:
* vegetation changes
* thermokarstic depressions
* disruptions of infrastructure
* increased solute and particulate load in rivers
* decreased river discharge
* rock-wall collapse and catastrophic landslides
* activation of the soil carbon pool and attendant emissions of greenhouse gases.
A continuing lack of permafrost data in parts of monsoon Asia will restrict planning and decision-making to adapt
to changes in the permafrost. Research initiatives are needed to ensure that there will be sufficient data and
knowledge to support future decision-making.
Objectives
The primary objective of the project is to document and model the extent and character of permafrost across
high-altitude regions of monsoon Asia. Such work is being carried out in Mongolia, but there is less work south
of there. Extensive ground temperature measurements in boreholes across the region are recommended, as
well as mapping and modelling using the various algorithms developed by Swiss researchers (PERMAKART,
ROCKFROST). A systematic search and mapping is advised using satellite imagery (ASTER and other large-
scale systems) for landforms indicative of permafrost or its degradation (tundra polygons, baidjarakhs, thermokarst
depressions, alases, etc). TheAsian Conference on Permafrost held in Lanzhou, China in August 2006 emphasized
themes which could be applied and developed for MAIRS.
Activities
A workshop in the second half of 2007 on the Cryosphere of the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau, planned by the
University of Nebraska at Omaha, could provide a start for the project.
Timing
Late 2007 would be an appropriate time for a small initial workshop on the status of current research, as well as
planning for future permafrost research in the MAIRS region.
ParticipantsParticipants in the initial workshop could include
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Manton, Michael & Ailikun. Report of Planning Workshop on MAIRS Mountain Zone Implementation, text, June 2007; Beijing, China. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc11928/m1/30/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .