ИСТИНА

The resistance of cryogenic landscapes to surface damage is the ability of the land to resist anthropogenic activation of cryogenic processes that may lead to irreversible deterioration of the environmental situation and unacceptable deformation of engineering structures. Cryogenic processes are a key indicator of northern landscapes’ reaction to external influences. The mechanical damage arising during the operation of engineering facilities, such as mining, are widespread in the cryolithozone. The current research is based on identifying factors that influence the lithocryogenic state of the landscape and reduce in landscape stability, and, as a result, cryogenic process activation. The evaluation procedure includes several stages. At first we select the main factors that influence landscape resistance to cryogenic processes activation, such as ground composition, permafrost temperature; ice content of the ground and its composition, protective properties of vegetation and its recoverability. Then we create the table of these factors to assign numerical scores to each landscape. As a result, we rank all landscapes, basing on vulnerability to the economic development considering the calculated indexes. Yhe last stage is compiling evaluation maps. With this technique, mapping lithocryogenic stability is performed on a landscape basis. To test the method, a site was chosen in the northern part of the Medvezhye gas field, with an area of 110 km2. The study area includes southern tundra landscapes with complicated geocryological conditions.