Abstract
In the northern Da Xing'anling Mountains, climate warming and intensive land use are accelerating thaw-related hazards that compromise transportation infrastructure. During field campaigns in August–September 2023, we mapped thaw-hazard distribution and acquired ground-temperature, electrical resistivity, and topographic data along major roads, railways, and the China–Russia Crude Oil Pipelines (CRCOPs). We identified 290 hazard sites: 85 thaw-settlement depressions with substantial pavement subsidence, 49 sites with extensive longitudinal cracking, and 156 sections of undulating (“wave”) roadway or pipeline right-of-way. Ground temperatures were generally lower on the western flank where permafrost is better preserved. At depths of 0–1 m beneath representative surfaces, ground temperatures were highest under asphalt (5.1 °C), followed by concrete (4.3 °C), bare ground (3.8 °C), and an experimental concrete-brick pavement (2.5 °C). The CRCOPs produced a stronger lateral thermal footprint than road and railway embankments, extending ≈16 m from the pipeline axis versus ≈10 m for other linear infrastructure. Hazards clustered on the west- to northwest-facing slopes with mean annual ground temperatures <+1 °C, predominantly at 400–600 m a. s. l., slope angles <8°, and latitudes 51°-53°N. Principal drivers include regional warming, enhanced ground-surface heat absorption, and water pooling that augments heat advection while reducing surface albedo. These findings provide actionable constraints for siting, design, and maintenance to improve the resilience of transportation corridors in permafrost-affected terrain.