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Permafrost matters

 The Nunataryuk project explores the changes taking place in areas which have previously had permafrost which has lasted for decades or centuries.


From the Grida.no website which I've used for years, comes a really thorough definition of permafrost - a feature which is almost as threatened as coral reefs...

Permafrost, defined as sediment or rock that remains at or below 0°C for at least two years, is found on land, along coastlines, and below the seafloor. The thawing of terrestrial permafrost leads to increased coastal erosion and ground instability that stresses infrastructure, posing serious problems for Indigenous communities and other people who live in the Arctic, as well as for industry. The thawing of both terrestrial and submarine permafrost can lead to the release of methane and other greenhouse gases, which can trigger a positive feedback loop that results in further atmospheric warming. Numerical modelling suggests that almost all submarine permafrost is thawing.


Map funded by EU Horizon 2020 research - the sort we in the UK used to have access to.

Map on CC license on Flickr

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