permafrost processes - Geography Ebooks | TheGeoecologist

Question 1

What is the periglacial cycle of erosion according to Peltier?

Accepted Answer

L.C. Peltier's 1950 periglacial cycle of erosion describes landscape evolution in cold, non-glacial environments through three stages: Youthful (frost weathering dominance, blockfields), Mature (solifluction and nivation intensification, pingos, patterned ground), and Old Age (peneplanation, thermokarst, residual tors). It is the cold-climate analogue of Davis's fluvial cycle.

Question 2

What are the main processes driving periglacial cycle erosion?

Accepted Answer

The primary processes are frost action (freeze-thaw weathering), solifluction (saturated soil flow over permafrost), nivation (snowpatch erosion), ice wedging (patterned ground formation), and thermokarst (permafrost thaw subsidence). These processes operate in varying intensity across the three cycle stages.

Question 3

How does climate change affect the periglacial cycle of erosion?

Accepted Answer

Arctic warming accelerates permafrost thaw, increasing thermokarst lake formation and active layer thickness. This may truncate the natural cycle by driving landscapes directly from Mature to thermokarst-dominated states, bypassing Old Age peneplanation. Carbon release from thawing permafrost creates a positive feedback loop.

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Periglacial Cycle Erosion: Peltier’s Model, Processes & Landforms Explained