Thermal influences of road engineering on permafrost underneath different surface condition in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Road engineering produces thermal influences on the permafrost on both sides of the road, but this impact is unclear yet. In this study, the thermal influences of the highway on the permafrost underneath different surfaces conditions were investigated by means of permafrost monitoring in two sites along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (QTH). The results show that on both sides of the QTH there is a significant thermal influence on the permafrost, but this influence is closely related to the different vegetation conditions. The thermal influence range of the highway on the permafrost underneath high vegetation coverage is much smaller than that underneath low vegetation coverage. Additionally, the characteristics of the heat exchange between the atmosphere and the ground also had a significant difference between the two monitoring sites, which could cause the differing thermal states of the permafrost. •The thermal influences of the Qinghai-Tibet highway on the permafrost underneath different surface conditions were studied by measured data. It shows the permafrost of two sites differ in thermal states.•The heat exchange patterns between the atmosphere and the ground differ significantly between two sites with different vegetation coverage. The vegetation could be one of the important reasons causing the difference.