Climate change has been a major issue in our society of recent. Arctic Ice coverage has declined every decade by 3.5 to 4.1 percent every decade since 1979.
Permafrost is the frozen layer of land that is underneath soil in arctic areas. Permafrost is often found in regions where temperatures rarely rise above freezing.
As permafrost thaws, microbes convert some of it to carbon dioxide and methane. Those gases can flow into the atmosphere and contribute to more warming.
The melting of permafrost has an effect on a chain of things in that region. The thawing of permafrost contributes to the highly -debated topic of global warming and climate change. This debate was hugely discussed during the presidential race.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
Gerald Healy, a sophomore accounting major studying at Cabrini University, believes that the issue of permafrost melting should more thoroughly and openly be discussed.
Healy said, “Global warming is such a debated topic in politics throughout political races, but it is so forgotten after that.”
Scientists predict that the process of permafrost melting could contribute as much as 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit to global warming over the next few centuries. Permafrost could also impact buildings and different structures over-topping the layer of land. Buildings and structures could seep into the ground and potentially collapse if the melting continues.
This estimation does not include what society decides to do involving the burning of fossil fuels and other activities. Permafrost contains an abundant amount of carbon in organic matter. Plants that took carbon dioxide centuries ago died and froze prior to decomposition, according to the New York Times.
Claudia Walewski, a freshmen student studying biology at Cabrini University, recognizes how damaging these gasses being released from permafrost melting could really be.
“Global warming is a huge issue and the rate permafrost is melting could impact thousands of people now and for the future,” Walewska said.
Permafrost is estimated to contain about twice as much carbon that is currently in the atmosphere.
Alaska is one of the most publicized areas when discussing the issue of permafrost. The temperature there is a degree below freezing three feet down into the frozen grounds of Alaska, according to the New York Times.
The Nature Conservancy Organization has declined to comment on the permafrost issue. Residents of certain areas in Alaska are being asked to relocate due to the harmful gasses according to, CNBC News.
A new study shows that wildfires have a part in the thawing of permafrost. This study, led by ecohydrologist Samuel Zipper from McGill University and the University of Victoria, shows that wildfires burn off a piece of rich soil that coat permafrost. The sun’s rays can penetrate and thaw permafrost quicker due to the burn of this rich soil. Zipper’s study reveals that after wildfire burns off a portion of organic-rich soil that normally insulates permafrost, summer warmth penetrates deeper into the frozen soil allowing gasses to be released faster.
Nicholas Louis, a sophomore studying human resources at Cabrini University, is fearful of what this means for future generations.
“It makes me think of my family down the line hundreds of years of now, and even if the Earth will be habitable,” Louis said.
