Search Results (5)

Engineering disturbances are increasing in permafrost regions of northeastern China, where soil microorganisms play essential roles in biogeochemical cycling and are highly sensitive to linear infrastructure disturbances. However, limited research has addressed how microbial communities respond to different post-engineering-disturbance recovery stages. This study investigated the impacts of the China–Russia Crude Oil Pipelines (CRCOPs) on soil microbial communities in a typical boreal forest permafrost zone of the Da Xing’anling Mountains. Soil samples were collected from undisturbed forest (the control, CK); short-term disturbed sites associated with Pipeline II, which was constructed in 2018 (SD); and long-term disturbed sites associated with Pipeline I, which was constructed in 2011 (LD). Pipeline engineering disturbances significantly increased soil clay content and pH while reducing soil water content (SWC), soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) (p < 0.05). No significant differences in these soil properties were observed between SD and LD. Bacterial diversity increased significantly, whereas fungal diversity significantly decreased following pipeline disturbances (p < 0.05). The beta diversity of both bacterial and fungal communities differed significantly among the three disturbance types. At the phylum level, pipeline disturbance increased the relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, Ascomycota, and Mortierellomycota while reducing those of Bacteroidota and Basidiomycota. These shifts were associated with disturbance-induced changes in soil properties. Microbial co-occurrence networks in SD exhibited greater complexity and connectivity than those in CK and LD, suggesting intensified biotic interactions and active ecological reassembly during the early recovery phase. These findings suggest that pipeline disturbance could drive soil microbial systems into a new stable state that is difficult to restore over the long term, highlighting the profound impacts of linear infrastructure on microbial ecological functions in cold regions. This study provides a scientific basis for ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation in permafrost-affected areas. Full article

The China–Russia crude oil pipeline (CRCOP) operates at a temperature that continuously thaws the surrounding permafrost, leading to secondary periglacial phenomena along the route. However, the evolution and formation mechanisms of these phenomena are still largely unknown. We used multi-temporal airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR), geophysical, and field observation data to quantify the scale of ponding and icing, capture their dynamic development process, and reveal their development mechanisms. The results show that the average depth of ponding within 5 m on both sides of the pipeline was about 31 cm. The volumes of three icings (A–C) above the pipeline were 133 m³, 440 m³, and 186 m³, respectively. Icing development can be divided into six stages: pipe trench settlement, water accumulation in the pipe trench, ponding pressure caused by water surface freezing, the formation of ice cracks, water overflow, and icing. This study revealed the advantages of airborne LiDAR in monitoring the evolution of periglacial phenomena and provided a new insight on the development mechanisms of the phenomena by combining LiDAR with geophysics and field observation. The results of our study are of great significance for developing disaster countermeasures and ensuring the safe operation of buried pipelines. Full article

Human engineering activities and climate warming induce permafrost degradation in the Da Xing’anling Mountains, which may affect the distribution of permafrost and the safety of infrastructure. This study uses the electrical resistivity tomography method, in combination with field surveys and ground temperature monitoring, to investigate the distribution and degradation characteristics of permafrost and influencing factors at a typical monitoring site (MDS304) near the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline (CRCOP). The results show that the isolated permafrost in this area is vulnerable to further degradation because of warm oil pipelines and thermal erosion of rivers and ponds. The isolated permafrost is degrading in three directions at the MDS304 site. Specifically, the boundary between permafrost and talik is on both sides of the CRCOP, and permafrost is distributed as islands along a cross-section with a length of about 58–60 m. At present, the vertical hydrothermal influence range of the CRCOP increased to about 10–12 m. The active layer thickness has increased at a rate of 2.0 m/a from about 2.4–6.8 m to 2.5–10.8 m from 2019 to 2021 along this cross-section. Permafrost degradation on the side of the CRCOP’s second line is more visible due to the river’s lateral thermal erosion, where the talik boundary has moved eastward about 12 m during 2018–2022 at a rate of 3.0 m/a. It is 2.25 times the westward moving speed of the talik boundary on one side of the CRCOP’s first line. In contrast, the talik boundary between the CRCOP’s first line and the G111 highway also moves westward by about 4 m in 2019–2022. Moreover, the maximum displacement of the CRCOP’s second line caused by the thawing of frozen soil has reached up to 1.78 m. The degradation of permafrost may threaten the long-term stability of the pipeline. Moreover, the research results can provide a useful reference for decision-makers to reduce the risk of pipeline freeze-thaw hazards. Full article

The China–Russia crude oil pipeline (CRCOP) has been in operation for over ten years. Field observation results have shown that a thaw bulb has developed around the CRCOP which expands at a rate of more than 0.8 m∙a⁻¹ in depth. In view of the deficits of existing measures in mitigating permafrost thaw, a new control method is proposed based on active cooling. According to the relationship between total pressure loss and the driving force of natural ventilation, the wind speed in a U-shaped air-ventilation pipe around the CRCOP is calculated. By analyzing the theoretical calculation and numerical analysis results, it is found that the influence of thermal pressure difference on the natural ventilation of the structure can be negligible, and the influences of resistance loss along the pipe and local resistance loss in the pipe are similarly negligible. Exhaust elbows greatly improve the ventilation performance of the U-shaped air-ventilated pipe. This study developed a novel structure around warm-oil pipelines in permafrost for mitigating thaw settlement along the CRCOP and other similar projects across the world. Full article

The China–Russia crude oil pipeline (CRCOP) traverses rivers, forests, and mountains over permafrost regions in northeastern China. Water accumulates beside the pipe embankment, which disturbs the hydrothermal balance of permafrost underlying the pipeline. Ground surface flows along the pipeline erode the pipe embankment, which threatens the CRCOP’s operational safety. Additionally, frost heave and thaw settlement can induce differential deformation of the pipes. Therefore, it is necessary to acquire the spatial distribution of water features along the CRCOP, and analyze the various hazard probabilities and their controlling factors. In this paper, information regarding the permafrost type, buried depth of the pipe, soil type, landforms, and vegetation were collected along the CRCOP every 2 km. Ponding and erosive damage caused by surface flows were measured via field investigations and remote sensing images. Two hundred and sixty-four pond sites were extracted from Landsat 8 images, in which the areas of 46.8% of the ponds were larger than 500 m². Several influential factors related to freeze–thaw hazards and erosive damage were selected and put into a logistic regression model to determine their corresponding risk probabilities. The results reflected the distributions, and forecasted the occurrences, of freeze–thaw hazards and erosive damage. The sections of pipe with the highest risks of freeze–thaw and erosive damage accounted for 2.4% and 6.7%, respectively, of the pipeline. Permafrost type and the position where runoff encounters the pipeline were the dominant influences on the freeze–thaw hazards, while the runoff–pipe position, buried depth of the pipe, and landform types played a dominant role in erosive damage along the CRCOP. Combined with the geographic information system (GIS), field surveys, image interpretation and model calculations are effective methods for assessing the various hazards along the CRCOP in permafrost regions. Full article