ABSTRACT
The geothermal measurements (temperature profiles, thermal conductivity of formations) in permafrost regions (Alaska, Northern Canada, Siberia a.o.) can provide a good source of information related to the widely discussed problem of global warming during the last century. Indeed, the anomalies in the temperature profi les (the departure of the temperature profi les from linearity at a constant thermal conductivity of formations) in the permafrost contain a record of change in surface temperature of the past (Osterkamp 1984). In addition, the change in the heat fl ow density at the permafrost base (frozen-unfrozen interface ) is also an indicator of the climate change in the past (Melnikov et al. 1973). When interpreted with the heat conduction theory, these sources can provide important information of patterns of contemporary climate change. For example, precision measurements in oil wells in the Alaskan Arctic indicate a widespread warming (2-4ºC) at the permafrost surface during the 20th century (Lachenbruch et al. 1988).
