Deep Borehole Soil Temperatures in Ob River Valley Permafrost

NASA provides soil temperature data from three deep boreholes in the Ob River valley, Russia, drilled into discontinuous permafrost. Borehole VK-1615 offers a 31-year record from 1971 to 2002, reaching 100 m depth, while ZS-124 and ZS-124a provide monthly measurements from 1978-1980 and 1980-2002 at shallower depths. This dataset captures long-term thermal conditions in a key permafrost region.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term soil temperature trends at different depths (up to 100 m) in discontinuous permafrost.
• Comparing seasonal and interannual thermal variability between three distinct boreholes (VK-1615, ZS-124, ZS-124a).
• Validating permafrost thermal models using in-situ temperature measurements from 1971 to 2002.
• Studying the impact of climate on permafrost stability in the Ob River valley over three decades.

Strengths

• Provides a long temporal record, with the VK-1615 borehole spanning 31 years from 1971 to 2002.
• Includes measurements at significant depths, with VK-1615 reaching 100 m below the surface.
• Data collection followed a structured monthly sampling protocol for boreholes ZS-124 and ZS-124a.

Limitations

• Specific column names and the total row count are not provided by any source, limiting detailed analysis.
• Sources conflict on the last update date, with one listing 2002 and another listing 2026, creating uncertainty about data currency.
• Spatial coverage is limited to three specific borehole locations in a single river valley.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Monthly sampling from deep boreholes drilled into permafrost.

Time Range

1971 to 2002

Freshness

2002-12-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Ob River valley, Russia