Episodic occurrence of permafrost in southwest Tasmania?

The development of a thin peat layer over metamorphic rock during the last cold stage in the Louisa and Melaleuca Plains and at Birch's Inlet, Tasmani a. has recently been report ed, This paper presents results of a numerical model on permafrost growth and decay, which explores the possibility of the development of a thin layer of permafrost for this particular depositional setting at the end of the last cold stage in Tasmania. The increase in the rmal conductivity of peat sediments under frozen conditions results in a pr eferred penetration of the cold winter wave tin comparison to the summer wa ve) into the subsurface, The results of the model calculations suggest the development of a several metres-thick permafrost layer. even under slightly positive mean annual temperatures in the region.