The Impact of Melting Permafrost on Climate Change and Infrastructure

Permafrost, which is the frozen ground in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, is one of the many things that regulates Earth’s climate. It has a lot of carbon dioxide and methane, which are both greenhouse gases (GHGs). Global warming is causing permafrost to thaw at a very rapid pace. This speeds up global warming as well as ruins ecosystems in areas that permafrost has been stable in the past.

Permafrost covers large areas across different regions (e.g. Siberia, Canada, and Alaska). The active later (which is the top layer) of the permafrost usually thaws in the summer and then freezes again in the winter but the deeper layer stays frozen year-round. But due to temperature rise, the deeper layers are beginning to thaw. As permafrost thaws, carbon gets released in the form of carbon dioxide and methane. This warms the planet, which creates a feedback loop by causing more permafrost to thaw, making more GHGs enter the atmosphere, which makes the planet even warmer.

This impacts infrastructure significantly. In regions like Siberia, Canada, and Alaska, there are houses, roads, and pipelines. They were originally on a stable ground, but the permafrost melting causes the ground to soften. This causes roads to crack and buildings to tilt or collapse. Roads and pipelines in Alaska are already being damaged from the ground beneath them becoming unstable. Most places are not prepared for major events similar to this, which will happen as the climate continues to change.

Thawing permafrost also affects ecosystems by changing the soil composition and water drainage patterns. This affects both plant growth and wildlife habitats. Wetlands that are newly formed could make the environmental inhabitable for species that need a frozen ground like migratory birds and some of the Arctic mammals.

Climate change is thawing permafrost, which does significant damage to the world and needs to be handled. GHGs being released and damage to infrastructure and ecosystems affect places all over the world, not just the Arctic. If things continue the way they are, permafrost could thaw enough to cause catastrophic impacts on both the environment and economy on a global scale.