Geocryology and Permafrost Zonation Map of Mongolia

Two digitized map plates detail the distribution of permafrost and seasonally frozen ground across Mongolia. The dataset includes a 1:12,000,000 scale map showing four general geocryological zones and a more detailed 1:4,500,000 scale map with 14 terrain classifications based on elevation, temperature, and freeze-thaw depths. It also maps the locations of six specific cryogenic phenomena, derived from the National Atlas of Mongolia by Sodnom and Yanshin in 1990.

Use Cases

• Modeling permafrost distribution and vulnerability using the 14 terrain classification attributes.
• Analyzing the spatial correlation between specific cryogenic phenomena (e.g., thermokarst, solifluction) and environmental factors.
• Creating baseline maps for climate change impact studies on frozen ground in Mongolia.
• Validating remote sensing data on ground ice and active layer thickness with field-derived zonation.

Strengths

• Provides two distinct spatial scales of analysis: a national overview at 1:12,000,000 and a detailed regional map at 1:4,500,000.
• Includes annotations for six specific cryogenic landforms (perennial frost mounds, icings, thermokarst, etc.), enabling process-based studies.
• Derived from the authoritative National Atlas of Mongolia, lending credibility to the foundational data.

Limitations

• The underlying data is from 1990, making it a historical snapshot that may not reflect current conditions.
• Platforms disagree on the last updated date: one source lists 1990-12-31, while another lists 2026-03-13, creating uncertainty about potential revisions.
• Specific column names and row/feature counts are not provided by any source, limiting precise understanding of data structure.

Provenance

Source

National Atlas of Mongolia (Sodnom and Yanshin, 1990).

Collection Method

Digitized from two original map plates.

Time Range

1990

Freshness

1990-12-31

Geography

Mongolia