Digital thematic maps of the modern condition of permafrost landscapes of Yakutia on a scale of 1:1 500 000 have been compiled. A quantitative analysis of the patterns of their spatial distribution was carried out, the differentiation of permafrost landscapes by geocryological characteristics was made, and the areas that are most vulnerable to modern climate change and anthropogenic impacts were identified. The analysis of a series of digital thematic maps of the modern condition of permafrost landscapes in Yakutia showed that 34% of the total territory is occupied by landscapes with soil temperatures from −2 to −4 °C, the least common high-temperature permafrost landscapes (from 0 to −2 °C) – about 4% of the territory. Landscapes with active layer thickness values of about 1 m are spread over 36% of the territory, which is the highest indicator. Insignificant territories (up to 3%) are occupied by landscapes with active layer thickness of up to 3 and 3,5 m. The most widespread landscapes are those with low-ice deposits (less than 0,2) – 38,7%, and landscapes with heavy-ice deposits (more than 0,4) occupy 31%. The most dangerous process is thermokarst, which occurs in the interalassic and slightly drained types of terrain.

Shestakova Alyona Alexeevna, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Researcher of the Laboratory of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Permafrost Mapping, Melnikov Permafrost Institute of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 36 Merzlotnaya st., Yakutsk, 677010, Russia. E-mail: aashest@mail.ru.