Melting permafrost has become a new source for pathogens and added greenhouse gas emissions

 

At the current rate of global warming the average temperature of the atmosphere for the planet has risen 1.5 degrees Celsius over what it was at the beginning of the industrial age. During the same time the temperature at the poles has risen as much as 4 times the amount of the global average to as much as 6 degrees. Permafrost, which is land that remains frozen for more than two years, is found in the most northern latitudes and therefore has been dramatically affected by the 6 degree increase in temperature. About a quarter of the northern hemisphere contains permafrost.

We are already seeing a host of things happening as a result of the thawing of the world’s permafrost. The permafrost area where the world's depository of seeds for future generations is being stored, the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, has already experienced periods of melting. Its melt waters flooded the entrance tunnel to the Global Seed Vault.(ref. 8).

 Pathogens and ancient viruses that were trapped in the permafrost are suddenly emerging as a result of melting permafrost (ref. 9,10). In 2016 a child died in Russia's far northern Siberia in an outbreak of anthrax that scientists said seemed to have come from the corpses of infected reindeers buried 70 years before but uncovered by melting permafrost. (ref.10)

 Buildings and roads built on the permafrost are collapsing as the permafrost thaws. A fuel tank at a power station run by a nickel mining company in the remote Russian city of Norilsk lost pressure on May 29 and leaked 15,000 tonnes of diesel into the local river system and an additional 6,000 tonnes into the surrounding subsoil. The company’s billionaire co-owner, Vladimir Potanin, blamed thawing permafrost driven by climate change as “one reason for the spill,” saying it eroded the tank's foundation. (ref. 1).

 Sinkholes are forming in the permafrost releasing immense quantities of methane gas, a very potent greenhouse gas. Scientists already have found dramatic signs of permafrost thaw in Siberia, giant craters are forming as gases from decomposing matter build up underground and then explode. (ref.1)

As we have discussed before in our article on feedback loops and tipping points, the effect of this thawing becomes a cycle that contributes to global warming. The major feedback loop for the thawing of the permafrost is the additional heating of the atmosphere occurring because of the release of carbon that was locked up in the permafrost in the form of plant and animal matter. As microbes decay this material, they produce carbon dioxide and methane. Unless the amount of carbon dioxide and methane is reduced in the atmosphere, this feedback loop will get stronger adding more heat to the atmosphere.

There are actions that we as individuals can take to reduce global warming:

Reduce your use of greenhouse gas producing fuels by reducing heating and cooling of homes and businesses. Take fewer trips with the car.

 Sequester or remove carbon from the atmosphere by simple means. Plant trees and shrubs and not grass.  Lawn maintenance equipment, which runs on fossil fuels, is a significant contributor to the amount of greenhouse gasses. It's a double win. It takes less energy to maintain a tree and shrub than grass and the tree captures more carbon dioxide then grass.

Stop or reduce greatly the amount of animal food consumed. This greatly reduces the amount of methane sent into the atmosphere. It is also another double win. The land that was used for raising animals can now be turned from grassland into forested land and sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Create as many reflective surfaces as you can. Reflective surfaces send back shortwave radiation that is not absorbed by greenhouse gases and therefore does not cause them to heat up. Black roofs and driveways heat up. White roofs and driveways reflect sunlight and remain relatively cool and only produce shortwave radiation.

 If we each accept personal responsibility to do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint we can help reduce the effects of climate change.

 

References

1. Thawing permafrost puts global climate warming in spotlight (reuters.com)

 

2. As Climate Change Worsens, A Cascade of Tipping Points Looms - Yale E360

 

3. Nine climate tipping points now 'active,' warn scientists (phys.org)

 

4. What are Tipping Points in the Climate Crisis? | Earth.Org - Past | Present | Future

 

5. What are Climate Tipping Points? – climatetippingpoints.info

 

6. Climate tipping points — too risky to bet against (nature.com)

 

7. Explainer: Nine ‘tipping points’ that could be triggered by climate change | Carbon Brief

 

8. Arctic stronghold of world’s seeds flooded after permafrost melts | Climate change | The Guardian

 

9. Anthrax Outbreak In Russia Thought To Be Result Of Thawing Permafrost : Goats and Soda : NPR

 

10. As Permafrost Melts It's Unleashing Ancient Viruses, Carbon - And Now Fuel Spills (sciencealert.com)