TY  - Data
T1  - A new permafrost thermal state map based on enthalpy change on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
A1  - Ji Hailong
A1  - NAN Zhuotong 
DO  - 10.12072/ncdc.permafrost.db7696.2026
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026-08-04
PB  - National Cryosphere Desert Data Center
AB  - Permafrost thermal state, representing the stored “cold energy” in the ground, is crucial for assessing permafrost changes. However, the conventional metric, mean annual ground temperature (MAGT), has inherent limitations because it overlooks the thermodynamic contribution of ground ice. To address this, we developed an alternative metric based on enthalpy change (∆H′), which integrates ground temperature and ice content. Compared with MAGT, ∆H′ provides a more uniform scale and higher discernibility in indicating potential permafrost duration, and is therefore more suitable for representing permafrost thermal state. Using high-resolution gridded datasets, we mapped permafrost thermal state across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and quantified the spatial discrepancy between the two metrics. The results indicate that permafrost on the western QTP is less stable than suggested by MAGT, whereas permafrost in the southeast and around lakes in the endorheic basins is more stable than MAGT estimates.
DB  - NCDC
UR  - http://www.ncdc.ac.cn/portal/metadata/e70737b0-9cbf-4189-b8d6-dd6935414d4c
ER  -