Air and ground temperature at eleven sites within various biogeoclimatic zones along a N-S cross-section of Lightning Creek valley, near Keno, demonstrate the significance of atmospheric inversions on mean annual temperature. The mean annual air temperature increases with elevation by 2.2°C over the lower 160 m of Keno Hill, but declines above this level. Permafrost is present on the N-facing slope of Sourdough Hill but is absent on part of the S-facing aspect of Keno Hill, due to winter inversions and high summer solar radiation. The association of biogeoclimatic zones with permafrost was defined with thermal and physical data from the sites. With vegetation interpreted from aerial photographs and topographic information from a digital [...]
