Abstract: Based on the 1981-2000 observation data of climate factors and snow depth in Northeast China, frost number model was applied to approach its applicability in the regionalization of the permafrost in this area. The results indicated that the permafrost in Northeast China was dominated by discontinuous permafrost, including large piece permafrost, large piece and island-like permafrost, and alpine permafrost. The comparison of permafrost regionalization maps in different periods showed that the simulation results of the model could reflect the recent distribution status of the permafrost in Northeast China. The southern boundary of the discontinuous permafrost could reach to Aershan Mountain region, and the other alpine permafrost as well as the permafrost of Yichun in Xiaoxing’an Mountains could be also distinguished by the model.

Key words: exogenous nitrogen input, water depth, sediment burial, Suaeda salsa, Yellow River Delta