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Unlocking millions of years of frozen secrets: What amazing secrets does permafrost hide?
Permafrost, as the name suggests, refers to soil or seabed sediments where the temperature remains below freezing for more than two years. A large amount of biomass is preserved in these frozen soils. Many organic materials that died millions of years ago but have not yet completely decomposed have become precious research resources. As global warming impacts these frozen soils, they begin to melt, allowing us to explore millennia-old secrets and the profound impacts it may have on climate and ecosystems.
According to reports, about 15% of the world's northern hemisphere land is covered with permafrost, including areas such as Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Siberia.
The meaning and types of permafrost
Permafrost is a state in which soil, rock or sediment remains frozen for two or more years. In the Arctic, permafrost thicknesses exceeding 1,500 meters are common. According to its characteristics, permafrost can be divided into two categories: continuous and discontinuous. Discontinuous permafrost is distributed in sporadic locations, usually in warmer areas.
Under the influence of climate change, the melting of permafrost is not just a surface phenomenon, but goes deep into the past thousands of years.
The connection between permafrost and global climate
A large amount of carbon is stored under permafrost, making it a potential carbon deposition reservoir. As polar temperatures continue to rise, this stored carbon may be released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide or methane, forming a vicious cycle and accelerating global warming.
Thawing permafrost caused by climate change will result in emissions in some areas equivalent to the annual emissions of countries such as Russia or China.
The threat of permafrost to infrastructure
With global warming, melting permafrost poses a direct threat to many buildings and infrastructure. Experts predict that by 2050, nearly 70% of buildings relying on frozen soil foundations will be at risk, and related repair and reconstruction costs may reach tens of billions. Imagine a once-solid community that ends up having to be completely relocated because of melting soil.
The thawing of permafrost is not only an indicator of climate change, but also an important part of the infrastructure challenges we will face in the future.
Ecosystem changes
The secondary impact of the existence of permafrost on local organisms cannot be underestimated. Ecosystems adapted only to shallow-rooted plants will undergo dramatic adjustments in the face of ongoing climate change. Researchers are struggling to track the ecological balance of microorganisms in permafrost and see how it affects ecosystems across the Arctic.
Some microorganisms have survived in permafrost for thousands of years. As the frozen soil melts, these ancient microorganisms may pose new challenges to modern ecosystems.
Future challenges and thoughts
Faced with such huge ecological changes and climate challenges, scientists, policymakers and the public around the world need to be even more vigilant. How to properly manage permafrost under the influence of climate change will be an important research question in the coming decades. Research on permafrost not only helps us understand the mechanism of climate change, but is also crucial for mitigating climate change and protecting the ecological environment.
Although the scientific community is still continuing to discuss the impact of permafrost, what attitude should we adopt to face future challenges for this land that has been frozen for millions of years?
