Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: After conducting 5.5 m borehole temperature measurements near the summit of Mt. Sashirui, Hokkaido, Japan, the first occurrence of permafrost in the Shiretoko mountain range has been newly confirmed. The observation point, a wind-swept site, is covered by an alpine wind-exposed dwarf shrub community. The observation of mean annual ground surface temperature and the estimation of mean annual air temperature at this point were both close to the thresholds of onset of permafrost formation. However, thermal insulation by bryophyte and lichen cover in summer and effective heat transfer through frozen shrub branches and a thin snow layer during cold spells are likely to sustain this permafrost. Continuous long-term measurements of ground temperatures at this site are expected to be important for monitoring climate change in mountain areas of the Shiretoko region.
DOI: 10.5331/bgr.24r05
Authors: Hiroshi OHNO, Shuya NAKAMURA, Gen TERAYAMA, Yuta KUMAGAI, Kengo HASHIMOTO, Tatsuya WATANABE, Akihiro HACHIKUBO, Kazutaka TATEYAMA, Hiroshi ADACHI, Ryota ADACHI, Keisuke TSUKAYA, Ken SATO, Keiichiro HATA, Satoshi KOMAMIYA, Kazutoshi SATO, Hirotsugu MINAMI
Language: English
Subfield: Atmospheric Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Climate action
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4411335206