Studies of Palsas in Finland, Norway and Sweden, 1964–1966
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/BP/1968/17/4Keywords:
palsa, sporadic permafrost, periglacial, peat, frost heaving, Scandinavia, subarctic climateAbstract
This paper reviews investigations of palsas carried out in northern Scandinavia between 1964 and 1966. Palsas, considered the most typical indicators of sporadic permafrost, occur in various forms ranging from mounds and straight ridges to complex anastomosing ridge systems. The study analyses their internal structure, distinguishing between mineral-soil and peat-dominated cores. Field studies in Sweden, Norway and Finland revealed diverse ice-lens and ice-vein patterns responsible for frost heaving. The review also includes temperature measurements within palsa cores, hydrogeological studies (including tritium analysis), botanical observations and geophysical experiments. The results indicate that the formation and preservation of palsas depend primarily on a combination of low temperatures, thin snow cover and groundwater conditions. The author stresses the need for continued interdisciplinary research on palsas, both as key indicators of climate variability and as essential features of periglacial landscapes.
References
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Unpublished papers
Fries, M., 1964 - Torv- och sedimentlagerföljder i Tärnasjöområdet. In: Botaniska under sökningar i Tärnasjöområdet år 1963. Statens Naturvårdsnämnd, Stockholm.
Jerkeman, H. and Sandberg, T., 1965 - Undersökning av palsar med motståndsmät-ningsapparat. Kgl. Tekn. Högsk. i Stockholm.
