Аннотация:Increasing winter air temperatures in the Russian Arctic enhances the influence of snow on the permafrost system via the ground thermal and moisture regimes, particularly within the active layer and near-surface permafrost. Many settlements lack consistent and systematic monitoring of snow in permafrost zones. We observed the warming effect of snowbanks on piling foundations in the cities located in continuous permafrost zone of Russia. For example, the long-term average snow depth in natural areas within the Greater Norilsk Region is 0.7 m, but depths can reach 2 m in topographic lows (data from the Norilsk Meteorological observatory and CALM R-32 Site). However, snowbanks in the city range from 2 to 5 m from ploughing and consistently accumulate in the same locations in residential building courtyards. The size and location of these artificial snowbanks in the cities are influenced by urban topology, ploughing techniques in addition to annual snowfall. Numerical simulations indicate progressive increases in ground temperature in response to snow accumulation up to 2.5 m and > 2.5 m does not have a significant impact on ground insulation. While persistent snowbanks surrounding buildings do not contribute to increased insulation, they negatively impact piling foundations by blocking ventilation in winter. Without wintertime cold air circulation under buildings, permafrost warms leading to foundation degradation. A comparison of ground thermal surveys conducted in the 1970s and 2010s shows that 30-40% of building foundations in the city of Norilsk have significantly warmed and now exhibit structural deformation.
<https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm21/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/927774>