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Frozen Ground Videos
English
What is permafrost
This video introduces permafrost (soil frozen for at least two consecutive years) which covers 23% of Earth's surface. Learn about permafrost distribution across Arctic regions including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Scandinavia, and how it supports 4 million people. The video explains the active layer (seasonal thaw zone), permanently frozen ground, talik formations, and different permafrost classifications. It also covers thermokarst lakes and the climate implications of permafrost thaw: as frozen ground melts, stored greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide are released, significantly impacting global climate.
The greenhouse effect and climate change in the Arctic
Earth's climate naturally cycles through ice ages and warming periods, but human activities are accelerating warming. Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation, trapping heat in the atmosphere. In the Arctic, temperatures rise twice as fast as elsewhere, causing snow and ice to decrease dramatically. Arctic sea ice has shrunk 40% since 1980. As permafrost thaws, it disrupts water and carbon cycles, releasing ancient carbon as greenhouse gases and destabilizing soil. Thermokarst lakes proliferate, triggering landslides and infrastructure collapse.
How do scientists measure climate change?
Scientists study permafrost thaw to understand climate change impacts on water and carbon cycles. Thawing permafrost releases greenhouse gases amplifying global warming in a positive feedback loop. Researchers employ diverse methods: temperature monitoring stations, soil corers to extract permafrost samples, ice cores, and oceanographic instruments to track carbon transfer. Vehicles like hovercrafts and boats measure surface parameters, while drones, planes, and satellites map large-scale changes. These integrated field and remote-sensing techniques generate predictive models of carbon cycle evolution and permafrost thaw scenarios.
Local solutions for permafrost thaw.
Houses and roads are collapsing and cracking due to permafrost thaw. In order to adapt infrastructure, scientists and local communities are working together. Solutions to road deformation, applied to a road in northern Quebec serving a local airport, and building instability are covered. Interviews with researchers explain how the solution work, as well as the importance of field studies and working with communities.
Arctic science: a collaborative effort.
Modern permafrost research prioritizes ethical practices and community collaboration. Universities require ethics review boards to assess potential harms to communities before fieldwork begins. Local communities contribute essential knowledge and wildlife monitoring expertise, ensuring research respects ecosystems and local livelihoods. Scientists engage younger generations through school visits, sharing knowledge via games while understanding youth concerns and future visions for Arctic regions. Effective Arctic research requires genuine mediators and balanced partnerships between researchers and communities, ensuring mutual respect and equitable benefit-sharing in addressing climate change impacts.