Hu Tingwei, Chen Huie^*

College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University

Abstract：

Rapid climate warming has transformed permafrost degradation from a geological phenomenon into a critical geotechnical challenge. To map the scientific response to this crisis, this study analyzes a curated dataset of 315 core publications (2000–2025) focusing on infrastructure stability in cold and arid regions. Results reveal a polynomial surge in research post-2020, driven less by general climate policy and more by immediate engineering failures in high-altitude transport corridors. Network analysis uncovers a functional geographic division: North American institutions dominate hydrological monitoring, while Chinese research—anchored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences—centers on engineering interventions in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Thematically, the field has undergone a paradigm shift from fundamental soil mechanics toward climate-adaptive technologies, with recent hotspots clustering around multiphysics (THM) modeling and active thermal control. We conclude that future research will likely converge on AI-driven digital twins and proactive cooling systems to ensure infrastructure resilience in a warming world.

Key Words：

permafrost; frozen soil; cold regions; arid regions; bibliometric analysis; geotechnical engineering