Significant shallow–depth soil warming over Russia during the past 40 years

Knowledge of the spatiotemporal dynamics soil temperature in cold environment is key to understanding effects climate change on land–atmosphere feedback and ecosystem functions. Here, we quantify recent thermal status trends shallow ground using most up-to-date data set over 457 sites Russia. The consists situ temperatures at multiple depths (0.8, 1.6, 3.2 m) collected from 1975 2016. For region as a whole, significant warming occurred period. mean annual 0.8, m increased same level, ca 0.30–0.31 °C/decade, whereas increase maximum ranged 0.40 °C/decade 0.8 0.31 m. Unlike temperature, increases minimum did not vary (ca 0.25 °C/decade) with depth. Due overall greater than intra-annual variability decades. Moreover, faster continuous permafrost area discontinuous seasonal frost areas (0.8 1.6 depth), slower deeper level (3.2 m). rate shallower was less that but area. However, opposite found regarding temperature. Correlative analyses suggest extreme positively relate snow cover thickness duration, which results muted response changes. This study provides comprehensive view decadal evolutions Russia, revealing temporal depth distribution.