THERMOKARST

land-surface configuration that results from the melting of ground ice in a region underlain by permafrost. In areas that have appreciable amounts of ice, small pits, valleys, and hummocks are formed when the ice melts and the ground settles unevenly. The size and form of the features depends on the nature and extent of the ice. In general, regional thermokarst activity indicates an overall warming of the climate, whereas localized thermokarst forms may be caused by the moving of heavy vehicles over permafrost, the introduction of agriculture, or deforestation. Individual features have no characteristics that are exclusively due to thermokarst activity, and they are hard to distinguish from those formed by other means. Features resulting from the melting of dead glacial ice are not classified as thermokarst forms.