Thermal erosion at the north West Siberia 41-47

Abstract

Some gully landforms due to thermal erosion are discussed which has been observed at the north West Siberia. A new index is introduced to characterize volume of material removed by thermal erosion; the area has been subdivided into regions according to the index values. Main factors are considered which control the thermal erosion character and distribution. The process is demonstrated to be mostly developed in the north, within the arctic tundra zone, the gullies size and volume being maximum within the zone. Southward the values decrease and become smallest within the forest-tundra and northern taiga. Zonal character of the thermal erosion is preconditioned by climatic parameters of the zones; northern regions are typical for maximum concentration of the runoff (due to rapid snow melting) and almost complete absence of developed root system, as the plants are mostly presented by moss and lichens.