Diagenetic ground veins in the present-day alluvium of the Lower Omoloj river-basin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/BP/1969/19/13Keywords:
permafrost, microrelief, AsiaAbstract
This paper examines the formation of diagenetic ground veins in recent alluvial deposits of the Lower Omoloj River basin, a region with a harsh climate and widespread permafrost. The author was surprised to find these structures, noting that they are caused by the convective instability of the ground. The study focuses on wedge-like structures found in an inundation terrace of the Markoj-Yurege stream. The permafrost table in this area lies at a shallow depth of 0.25-0.45 m, and the surface exhibits a polygonal microrelief linked to ice-veins. The author argues that the observed disturbances are not frost-caused, citing the absence of ground cracking, shallow depth, and plastic character of the deformations. Instead, the structures are explained by the sinking of heavier, silty sands into less compact dusty sand, a process facilitated by permafrost acting as an impervious horizon.
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