Chapter 14 



PERMAFROST * 



Robert F. Black 



Geologist, U. S. Geological Survey 

 Washington, D. C. 



Permafrost (perennially frozen ground) is a widespread geologic 

 phenomenon whose importance and ramifications are rapidly becoming 

 better known and more clearly understood. The problem is to under- 

 stand permafrost in order to evaluate it in the light of any particular 

 endeavor, whether practical or academic. To understand permafrost 

 we need a precise, standardized terminology, a comprehensive classi- 

 fication of forms, a systemization of available data, and coordina- 

 tion of effort by geologists, engineers, physicists, botanists, climatolo- 

 gists, and other scientists in broad research programs. These ob- 

 jectives are only gradually being realized. 



This chapter is largely a compilation of or reference to available lit- 

 erature. Its purpose is to acquaint geologists, engineers, and other sci- 

 entists with some of the many ramifications and practical applications 

 of permafrost. New data from unpublished manuscripts in the files 

 of the U. S. Geological Survey also are included where appropriate 

 for clarity or completeness. Inna V. Poire of the U. S. Geological 

 Survey has prepared numerous condensations of Russian papers on 

 permafrost and made them available to the author. Others were made 

 available through the National Military Establishment. The library 

 of the Engineers School, the Engineer Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 

 has many abstracts, condensations, and translations of Russian works 

 that are available to civilian readers. References in this chapter 

 generally are only to later works, as most contain accounts of the 

 earlier literature. The bulk of the literature, unfortunately, is in 

 Russian and unavailable to the average reader, but some of it has been 

 summarized by Muller (1945). The Arctic Institute of North Amer- 



* Published by permission of the Director, U. S. Geological Survey. 



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