Commentary: The impact of climate change on landslides in southeastern of high-latitude permafrost regions of China

Permafrost is defined as "ground remaining at or below 0 °C for at least two consecutive years" (van Everdigen, 2005). The definition itself stresses that the permafrost should not be considered as a permanent thermal state, because it is extremely vulnerable to natural and man-induced climatic and environmental changes on different spatial and temporal scales. More in detail, the process of degradation, i.e. the fall in permafrost temperature within it (Dobinski, 2011), may entail several effects on permafrost (lowering of the table, raising of the base, thickening of the active layer) with a resulting reduction of its areal extent up to the complete disappearance with severe consequences on the stability of slopes and infrastructures.