Intensive growth of gully dissection of landscapes as a result of climate change on the example of Elanka settlement

The article is devoted to studying the dynamics of formation and development of gully landforms on the territory of the Elanka settlement of the Khangalasskiy District in Central Yakutia, explaining the mechanisms of formation and growth of gully landforms in permafrost landscapes and the reasons for activation of thermoerosion processes on the territory of the Lena River floodplain terrace. Physical and geographical characteristics of the area and a brief historical note about the researched locality are given. The results of observations and research carried out on the territory of the settlement during the period from 2019 to 2021 are presented, with a description of existing regularities between the distribution conditions of different morphometric data gully landforms. A comparison of the size values of the study objects for the entire period is given. As a result, a dynamic increase in the size of gully landforms is registered, the further development of which in subsequent years poses a threat to human economic activity in the territory of the settlement of the study, and also in the territory of other settlements that are located on the floodplain terrace of the Lena River with similar physical and geographical conditions. Examples of development of gully systems in other settlements of Khangalassky District are given. A sharp increase in the amount of atmospheric precipitation on the territory of Central Yakutia and a general increase in surface air temperature as one of the causes of the gully dissection of the relief of the Lena river floodplain terrace is considered. It is assumed that similar examples of gully dissection of territories take place in other settlements located on the Lena River floodplain terrace, in which no studies of the relief have been conducted earlier. It is recommended to carry out similar studies of relief disturbance in the above-mentioned settlements.

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