02-08 Permafrost

Here are three cities in Russia you probably did not know were there: Yakutsk, Salekhard and Norlisk. The photo is a main street of one of these communities.
But the story is that these are cities are built on permafrost, and the permafrost is melting. These buildings are destined to sink into the ground.
All through the north, and I am talking mainly about Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia, a major part of the land is covered with permafrost. It is 80 percent of Russia and 40 percent of Alaska.
This means that just below the surface you have sand, gravel and soil held together by ice. Something that can be a meter thick or a mile thick. And something that has been frozen for thousands of years is now becoming unstable.
All the surprises are linked to the melting of the permafrost. This can mean large gaps opening-up on the surface. And new lakes being created from the melting ice.
Permafrost is another one of those things that makes climate change quirky. The melting of the permafrost is a product of man-made climate change. The creation of excess amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels.
But the decomposition of organic material in the melting permafrost is sending more carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, making climate change something that is both man-made and natural.
According to the scientists, the melting of the permafrost is happening sooner and faster than anticipated. We are getting new sources of water, silt and sediment running into the rivers. The north is undergoing rapid change.
And there is lots of mystery associated with the thawing of the permafrost. Worms are coming alive. New viruses are being discovered. And the bodies of mammals are being found. Scary and quirky.
One thing is for sure. I am not planning to invest in either Yakutsk, Salekhard or Norlisk.