In 2023-2024, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute commissioned 78 observation points of the state permafrost background monitoring system in 12 regions of Russia. This year, scientists should fully deploy permafrost monitoring systems and increase the number of wells transmitting information about the state of permafrost to 140 units. This is stated in the message of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
The state system of background monitoring of permafrost conditions will make it possible to assess the current state, predict changes and reduce the negative effects of melting permafrost soils in Russia.
In the western sector of the high-latitude Arctic, the beginning of degradation of frozen strata is predicted in the next 20-30 years. The state permafrost monitoring system will make it possible to track the actual transition of soils to a thawed state in different regions of Russia and predict these processes in advance. The AAI has also developed and implemented a guidance document on the organization of background monitoring. This allowed the project to be implemented on a single methodological basis.
The main work on the creation of network points in 2024 was carried out in Yakutia. In 2023-2024, the northernmost monitoring point in Eurasia on Franz Josef Land and the southernmost in Tashant were set up. High-altitude observation points have been launched in the Altai Territory.
Currently, the system is deployed in the Arkhangelsk Region, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Altai, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District, Buryatia, the Nenets Autonomous District, Chukotka, the Murmansk Region, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Magadan Region and the Trans-Baikal Territory. In total, 140 points will be set up by the end of this year, which produce continuous automatic measurements of permafrost temperature at different depths.
