Geomechanical model of formation of sinkholes on ground surface in the permafrost zone

The nature of giant craters formed on ground surface on the Yamal Peninsula remains yet unclear. The theories which were put forward suggested large volume ejection of frozen soil and ice under the action of top permafrost thawing because of anomalous climate warming. Bogoyavlensky’s group set forth a hypothesis on natural gas-dynamics mechanism which pushed gas from the high pressure areas to the low pressure areas, i.e. toward ground surface. Furthermore, a model of gas-saturated frost–thaw cavity in the ice sheet was formulated and published. According to this model, accumulation of gas and the gas pressure increase induces gas-dynamic processes in the cavity, which leads to explosion and formation of a crater. The authors of this paper suggest a geomechanical approach to the hypothesis of formation of sinkholes. This approach is based on the stress–strain behavior evolution in permafrost rock mass owing to fracturing process caused by an aggregate of many factors with the most essential effect exerted by decomposition of gas-hydrates. Under natural or induced increase of temperature in the permafrost zone, decomposition of gas-hydrates is accompanied by generation of much amount of free methane which can have influence geomechanical processes. The computer modeling data prove that this approach-based model enables adequate description of fracturing processes in geomedium, and concedes both dynamic and quasi-static behavior of geo-processes with gradual liberation of methane along local subsurface fractures.

Odintsev V. N., Trofimov V. A., Filippov Yu. A., Shipovskii I. E. Geomechanical model of formation of sinkholes on ground surface in the permafrost zone. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2021;(12-1):159—166. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2021_121_0_159.

Odintsev V. N.¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Principal Researcher, efremovtsev_n@ipkonran.ru;
Trofimov V. A.¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Head of Laboratory, trofimov.v@ipkonran.ru;
Filippov Yu. A.¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Researcher, filippov.yury@ipkonran.ru;
Shipovskii I. E.¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Senior Researcher, shipovskiy_i@ipkonran.ru;
¹ Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences, 111020, Moscow, Kryukovskiy tupik 4, Russia.

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