General Geocryology

About this book

This readable and technically accurate translation of the standard Russian work on geocryology makes available for the first time in English a wide ranging and up-to-date review of permafrost science, unique in presenting the Russian viewpoint. It is a revealing account, demonstrating how the field developed in the former USSR (largely in isolation from related studies elsewhere) and illustrating its importance for current economic activities in the cold regions. It provides a fascinating insight into the extent of Russian scientific involvement and input. The fundamental physics of frozen ground, geotechnical procedures for construction problems, distribution of permafrost in terms of geological history and planetary geocryology are all considered.

Reprint of the 1998 edition.

Contents

Introduction; Part I. Processes in Freezing, Frozen and Thawing Ground: 1. Thermal-physical processes in freezing and thawing ground; 2. Water transfer and ice formation in soils; 3. Physical-chemical and mechanical processes in freezing and thawing ground; 4. Structure and texture of freezing and thawing soils; 5. Cryogenic geological processes and phenomena; Part II. Composition, Cryogenic Structure and Properties of Frozen Rocks: 6. Formation of sedimentary materials in the permafrost regions (cryolithogenesis); 7. Composition and structure of frozen earth materials; 8. Properties of frozen soils; 9. Characteristics of the basic genetic types of frozen ground; Part III. Formation and Development of the Frozen Strata and Layers of Seasonal Freezing and Thawing: 10. Thermodynamic and climatic conditions for formation of the frozen layers; 11. Seasonal freezing and thawing of ground; 12. Development of the temperature regime and the thickness of the permafrost; 13. Taliks and groundwater in the permafrost zone; Part IV. Regional Features and Evolution of Permafrost: 14. Permafrost evolution in the Earth's history; 15. Zonal and regional features of present-day geocryological conditions in the territories of the former USSR; 16. Principles and methods for regional geocryological investigations; Part V. Economic Development of the Permafrost Regions: 17. The effect of different types of development on the natural geocryological environment; 18. Ensuring the stability of engineering structures in the permafrost regions; 19. Engineering geology in support of design, construction and operation of structures in the permafrost regions; Index.

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