Description:
<p>A short review is presented of the study of permafrost conditions in high-mountain regions which, in comparison to the main lines of permafrost research, is a much neglected topic. The mountain regions discussed include the Rocky Mountains, Alps, Pamirs, Tien Shan, Altai, and the mountain regions of Mongolia and Japan. The vast mountain regions of central Asia, the Andes, and other mountain massifs of low latitudes have received little attention. Permafrost distribution in mountains follows the geographical zoning law. In each case the zone determines the type and category of structure of the geocryological belts. Two types, oceanic and continental, and eight categories of geocryological belts are distinguished. The main types differ in the relationship between their aboveground and underground ice conditions. Thus the oceanic type is characterized by permafrost occurring only at higher altitudes than the snowline, while permafrost occurs below the snowline within the continental type. The classification of geocryological belts permits the use of glaciological data for estimation of the altitudes of the permafrost belts and the spatial characteristics of frozen-ground phenomena in highmountain regions. This is important because it partially overcomes the present serious lack of direct permafrost data from these relatively inaccessible areas.</p>