Russian and Mongolian Borehole Catalog for Permafrost Analysis

127 boreholes from Russia and Mongolia document subsurface conditions critical for permafrost mapping. Data were compiled from published papers, monographs, and limited-circulation literature, primarily from the late 1980s to early 1990s. This collection was used to characterize eight geocryological regions in Russia and contributed to the Circum-arctic Map of Permafrost and Ground-Ice Conditions.

Use Cases

• Characterizing regional permafrost thickness and base depth across eight geocryological zones.
• Analyzing ground-ice content and soil temperature profiles from borehole logs.
• Calibrating and validating circumpolar permafrost distribution maps.
• Studying fluctuations in permafrost depth and fresh water table appearance.

Strengths

• Contains 127 specific borehole records (122 from Russia, 5 from Mongolia).
• Includes multi-method observations: standard geophysical logging, geothermal measurements, visual ice-content analysis, and thermologging.
• Data was directly used to generate the authoritative Circum-arctic Map of Permafrost and Ground-Ice Conditions (Brown et al., 1997).

Limitations

• Exact column names and row counts are not provided by any source, limiting structural clarity.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist: one source lists 1998, another lists 1993, and two list a future date of 2026.
• Original data sources are varied and some are from literature of limited circulation, which may affect consistency.

Provenance

Source

NSIDCV0, with contributions from Yakutsk Permafrost Institute, PGO Yakutskgeologia, and PGO Lenaneftegasgeologia.

Collection Method

Compiled from published papers, monographs, and other literature; data obtained via standard geophysical logging, geothermal observations, visual core analysis, and thermologging.

Time Range

Primarily late 1980s to early 1990s.

Freshness

1998-06 (from CAPS Version 1.0 CD-ROM release).

Geography

Russia (eight geocryological regions) and Mongolia.