Mountain permafrost on active volcanoes: Field data and statistical mapping, Klyuchevskaya volcano group, Kamachatka, Russia

Permafrost is widespread in mountainous volcanic areas of the Kamchatka Peninsula. In this paper, we describe geocryological conditions (active layer depths, permafrost temperatures, ground thermal properties and cryostratigraphy) in the Klyuchevskaya volcano group and estimate the spatial distribution of permafrost using a simple statistical model. Measured mean annual ground temperatures (MAGTs) vary from near 0 degrees C around 950 m a.s.l. to -7 degrees C at 2500 m a.s.l. and permafrost is predicted to occur at elevations >similar to 700 m a.s.l. Heat transfer modelling indicates that the maximum permafrost thickness is about 1000 m for the highest summits (similar to 5000 m a.s.l.). Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.