Thawing Permafrost Is Poised to Unleash Havoc in The Arctic, Scientists Warn

escaping from long-frozen soil could accelerate warming and overwhelm global efforts to cap the rise in Earth's temperature at livable levels.

By definition, it is ground that has been at temperatures colder than zero degrees Celsius for more than two years, though much permafrost is thousands of years old. As the climate warms, these remote, uncontrolled blazes are projected to increase 130 to 350 percent by mid-century, releasing more and more permafrost carbon.

"The strength of soil drops substantially as temperatures rise above the melting point and ground ice melts," the study noted. Nearly half of oil and gas extraction fields in the Russian Arctic are in areas with permafrost hazards threatening current infrastructure and future developments.In 2020, a fuel tank ruptured after its supports suddenly sank into the ground near the Siberian city of Norilsk, spilling 21,000 tonnes of diesel into nearby rivers.North America does not have large industrial centers built on permafrost, but tens of thousands of kilometers of roads and pipelines are increasingly vulnerable too.

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