Batagay megaslump: A review of the permafrost deposits, Quaternary environmental history, and recent development

The Batagay megaslump, in the Yana Uplands of northern Yakutia, Russia, is largest known retrogressive thaw slump world. exposes a remarkable sequence Ice Age permafrost deposits that record interaction colluvial, eolian and periglacial processes on hillslope episodically forested during last 650 ka or more response to climate variability glacial–interglacial timescales. Numerous bones, teeth, occasional carcasses Pleistocene Holocene mammals have been recovered from permafrost. megaslump developed over course several decades three stages: (1) gullying, (2) slumping, (3) megaslumping. After disturbance taiga vegetation cover 1940s–1960s, gully formed by early 1960s. initiated slumping along its central part 1980s, with enlarging (>20 ha) proportions 1990s. By 2019, area had reached about 80 ha headwall above floor was up 55 m high. main geomorphic growth are ablation thermal erosion, producing distinctive terrain icy badlands floor. Though much rapidly growing at present, it will probably stabilize eventually as an irregular characterized sandy ridges sand-filled elongate depressions degradation badlands. Comparison megaslumps northwest Canada reveals similarities differences terms their geomorphology, deposits, Quaternary history.