Why is permafrost important
Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K. Averyt, M. Tignor, and H. Miller, editors. Rennert, K. Roe, J. Putkonen, and C. Soil thermal and ecological impacts of rain on snow events in the circumpolar Arctic.
Journal of Climate Their dams flood new areas, creating boggy stretches that allow for more warm water to thaw permafrost further. Thawing permafrost can release more than carbon emissions. In , a young boy died and dozens were hospitalized after contracting anthrax on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia. An anthrax-infected reindeer carcass that froze 75 years earlier became exposed when the permafrost thawed.
Anthrax spores entered the soil and water, and eventually the food supply, infecting the humans. Bison frozen in permafrost. Photo: Johanna Anjar. People and animals and their diseases have been frozen in the permafrost for hundreds of years, but bacteria and viruses can survive in permafrost for hundreds of thousands of years—scientists recently revived a 30,year-old virus that infects amoebas.
Diseases like the Spanish flu, smallpox or the plague that have been wiped out might be frozen in the permafrost. As the Arctic warms, more activity, like mining for rare earth or precious metals, could potentially put us in contact with them again. Building on permafrost is problematic, not only because the ground is unstable, but because the heat of buildings and pipes themselves can warm permafrost.
Structures must be built on wood piles or based on thick gravel pads. Water and sewer pipes must be placed above ground. Some Bethel roads and airport runways are outfitted with liquid-filled pipes that transfer heat away from the permafrost, and the hospital has installed machines that keep the ground constantly refrigerated.
But to get a fuller understanding of this phenomenon and to be able to make more accurate climate projections, scientists need to be able to better assess the vulnerability of permafrost to thawing and its many consequences for the Arctic and the planet.
New research reveals that Arctic permafrost is full of mercury, a neurotoxin that is harmful to human health. Thawing permafrost could release it into the environment. As tundra warms, the tree line may migrate north, and the fresh growth of forest may soak up more carbon from the atmosphere than the soil releases.
Once I have the means, I will put all my power into saving this world for the ones to come after us. They deserve to cherish this planet. I believe we are at the intersection point of salvation or destruction, and it is up to us to become sustainable on earth. Climate , Earth Sciences. Peat on the tundra. Photo: Ben Gaglioti. Peat over ice. Fire near Ivotuk, AK. Notify of. I agree to help cultivate an open and respectful discussion. Oldest Newest Most Voted.
Inline Feedbacks. Renee Cho. Bob Elliott. A anthrax outbreak in Siberia , linked to a decades-old reindeer carcass infected with the bacteria and exposed by thawed permafrost, demonstrated the potential threat.
But when it comes to other diseases, such as smallpox and the Spanish flu—known to exist in the frozen tundra, in the mass graves of those killed by the disease—scientists are still uncertain how likely these pathogens are to cause outbreaks. What is certain, however, is that developing the Arctic —and extracting millions of tons of permafrost to mine for precious metals and petroleum—will increase human contact with thawed, ancient, and possibly zombie pathogens.
For most of us, the tundra and the permafrost beneath it may seem a million miles away. Healing the planet starts at home—in your garage, in your kitchen, and at your dining-room table.
Short answer: Yes. Even a seemingly slight average temperature rise is enough to cause a dramatic transformation of our planet. We will keep you informed with the latest alerts and progress reports. Jump to Section What Is Permafrost? How Does Permafrost Form? Where Is Permafrost Found?
What Are the Impacts of Permafrost Thaw? Permafrost melting in the arctic region of Svalbard, Norway. Demand Climate Action Learn More. Permafrost damaged roads, Yellowknife, Northwest territories. Why Send Antarctica More Ice? Because, Science.
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