Understanding the thermal conditions of the ground in the Arctic is of utmost importance in order to assess the effects of climate change on the occurrence of permafrost, on the ecosystems and societies of Arctis, and the global climate system. New data on temperatures has enabled more exact modelling.
Understanding the thermal conditions of the ground in the Arctic is of utmost importance in order to assess the effects of climate change on the occurrence of permafrost, on the ecosystems and societies of Arctis, and the global climate system. New data on temperatures has enabled more exact modelling.
Juha Aalto and Miska Luoto, researchers in natural geography at the University of Helsinki, the BioGeoClimate Modelling Lab, participated in this study. The findings of the study have been published in the international journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Support from statistical methods
The research modelled the temperatures of the ground and the thickness of the active layer, i.e. the layer above the permafrost, which melts in summer. The study covered most of the northern hemisphere.
The modelling was based on a database combining very extensive field measurements and digital environmental data. The study utilised statistical hive-predicting methods with a regional resolution of 1km2, an accuracy hitherto unseen.
Read more at University of Helsinki
Image: The findings from the research will enhance our understanding of the fine-scale variation in thermal conditions in the ground of the northern hemisphere. MAGT=mean annual ground temperature. (Credit: Juha Aalto)
