Introduction - Cryopedology - page 1

Chapter 1
Introduction

1.1 History

The term “cryopedology” is derived from the Greek words cryos (“icy cold”), pedon
(“soil”), and logos (“study”) and, hence, refers to the study of frozen ground and
intensive frost action. Although cryosols were studied for many years in Russia,
Nikiforoff ( 1928 ) introduced the concept of frozen ground and intensive frost action
to the English-speaking world. He provided a historical overview of permafrost, a
map showing the distribution of permafrost in Eurasia, a summary of data regarding
permafrost thickness, and its relation to present-day and paleo-climates. Kirk Bryan
( 1946 ), the American geomorphologist, introduced “cryopedology” as the study of
frozen ground and intensive frost action. In 1949 , the French geomorphologist
André Guilcher traced the development of cryopedology. Cailleux and Taylor
( 1954 ) published Cryopedology: the Study of Frozen Soils as part of the French
polar expedition to Greenland.
Makeev ( 1999 ) discussed the history and aspects of cryopedology and provided
an overview of the genesis, classifi cation, geography, and management of cryogenic
soils. Some historical highlights of cryopedology are provided in Table 1.1 . The
earliest formal observations of permafrost (1864) seem to be those of the Russian
naturalist A. Middendorf while traveling in Russia. Considered by many to be the
“father” of pedology, Dokuchaev ( 1883 ) identifi ed the arctic soil zone in Russia. The
Germans E. Ramann, W. Meinardus, and E. Blanck studied soils on Spitzbergen and
Greenland in 1911-1912. While on the Shackleton Expedition of 1907-1909, Jensen
( 1916 ) collected and analyzed soil samples from Ross Island. Another famous pedol-
ogist, K.K. Glinka, led a soils expedition to Siberia in 1921. M.I. Sumgin ( 1927 )
emphasized the effects of permafrost on soil processes; in 1934, Y.A. Livorskiy pub-
lished a topic on tundra soils of northern Russia (cited by Goryachkin et al. 2004 ).
The fi rst investigations of permafrost-affected soils in Canada were led by
A. Leahey in the middle to late 1940s (Table 1.1 ). Supported by the U.S. Naval
Research Laboratory, John C.F. Tedrow began his studies of permafrost-affected