The Donggi Cona Lake is located at the northeastern marginal of the Tibetan Plateau. Different from the high elevation permafrost in other parts of the Tibetan Plateau, the distribution of permafrost and its relation to alpine meadows and periglacial environments have their unique features. To further study the permafrost and periglacial landforms around the Donggi Cona Lake, a Sino\|Germany joint team investigated the lake and adjacent regions during the period from 9 to 26 May 2009. Earth hummocks, relics of palsa, frost cracks, thermokarst depressions, and cryoturbation, and other periglacial manifestations were identified. Thermokarst features well developed on the eastern and western lake shores, and the sporadic and patchy permafrost was identified. The thawed depths were found to be 0.3~0.4 m during the investigation, and cement ice was visible at the depth of 0.4 m. Earth hummocks and thermokarst depressions were identified in the wetlands on the piedmont alluvial fan in the east of the lake. The palsa remnant and frost cracks were located on the margin of these wetlands. A cryoturbation was discovered at the edge of the second terrace on the north lakeshore.

issued by <<Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology>>