A multilayer soil texture dataset for permafrost modeling over Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

摘要

As a sensitive indicator to climate change, permafrost is extensively distributed over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). The physical process-based models (PPM) are more capable of simulating the hydrothermal processes of permafrost than often-used statistical empirical models. The application of any permafrost PPM to QTP, however, is challenged by the availability of soil profile data, which are usually absent in deep layers. In the paper, a 1km resolution multiple-layer soil texture dataset (MSTD) with eighteen layers, beyond the depth of zero annual amplitude (DZAA) of soil temperature, has been developed for supporting permafrost modeling over QTP. It revealed that loam, sand and gravel are mainly distributed over the study area, and more loams occur in the east and in top layers while more gravels in the west and in deep layers. Further efforts will be placed to improve the dataset accuracy by collecting more soil survey profiles from other sources.