Links between seasonal suprapermafrost groundwater, the hydrothermal change of the active layer, and river runoff in alpine permafrost watersheds

作者：Jia Qin, Yongjian Ding, Faxiang Shi, Junhao Cui, Yaping Chang, Tianding Han, Qiudong Zhao · 发表于：Hydrology and earth system sciences · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.5194/hess-28-973-2024 · 被引用次数：34 · 研究领域：Climate change and permafrost、Cryospheric studies and observations、Arctic and Antarctic ice dynamics

Abstract. The seasonal dynamic of the suprapermafrost groundwater significantly affects the runoff generation and confluence in permafrost basins and is a leading issue that must urgently be addressed in hydrological research in cold and alpine regions. In this study, the seasonal dynamic process of the suprapermafrost groundwater level (SGL), vertical gradient changes of soil temperature (ST), moisture content in the active layer (AL), and river level changes were analyzed at four permafrost watersheds in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau using comparative analysis and the nonlinear correlation evaluation method. The impact of freeze–thaw processes on seasonal SGL and the links between SGL and surface runoff were also investigated. The SGL process in a hydrological year can be divided into four periods: (A) a rapid falling period (October to mid-November), (B) a stable low-water period (late November to May), (C) a rapid rising period (approximately June), and (D) a stable high-water period (July to September), which synchronously respond to seasonal variations in soil moisture and temperature in the AL. The characteristics and causes of SGL changes significantly varied during these four periods. The freeze–thaw process of the AL regulated SGL and surface runoff in permafrost watersheds. During period A, with rapid AL freezing, the ST had a dominant impact on the SGL. In period B, the AL was entirely frozen due to the stably low ST, while the SGL dropped to the lowest level with sma...