Vulnerability of Frozen Ground to Climate Change in China

Vulnerability of frozen ground is the vulnerability of frozen ground to climate change. The frozen ground system is susceptible to adverse effects of climate change, especially temperature variation. Study of the frozen ground vulnerability is the basic for improving the understanding of the vulnerabilities of the natural ecological, engineering, and ecological social economic systems to the impacts of frozen ground change, scientifically adapting to these effects. A frozen ground numerical model is developed using spatial principle component analysis supported by remote sensing and geographical information system technologies. The model contains nine factors describing topography, climate and frozen ground characteristics. The vulnerability of frozen ground to climate change is evaluated for the period of 1961-2007 on a regional scale. The vulnerability is graded into five levels: potential, light, medial, heavy and very heavy, following Natural Breaks Classification. The spatial distribution of frozen groun