Siberian landscape witnessing rapid emergence of mound formations due to thawing permafrost.
In the Frozen Heart of Siberia, a Rapid Thaw Unleashes Chaos
In the frigid expanse of Churapcha, a remote outpost nestled in eastern Siberia, a disturbing transformation is underway. The melting of the permafrost, a once unchanging layer of frozen soil, is reshaping the landscape, fracturing homes, and releasing harmful gases into the environment.
A sea of miniature mounds, locally known as "bylars," has started to emerge across Yakutia, the Russian Far East. These small, meter-high hillocks showcase an almost regular polygonal pattern, their unique shape traced back to the shape of the melting underground ice beneath them [1].
"The peaks remain stable, but it's the spaces between the mounds that are sinking," Nikita Tananayev, director of the climate laboratory at Federal Northeastern University in Yakutsk, remarks to AFP [2]. "The ice is melting at a faster rate due to climate change."
Unsettling Urban Landscapes
Even in urban areas such as Churapcha, a town situated approximately 135 kilometers from Yakutsk, these enigmatic mounds have made an appearance. Land once flat and smooth now bears a network of mounds, with Innokenty Poselsky, a 34-year-old local, noticing the change over the past four decades [2].
Poselsky has recently acquired land in Churapcha to construct a home. However, his plans are beset by the jigsaw puzzle-like landscape of the mounds. Despite his efforts to level the land, only half of it is clear for construction. His house rests upon piles embedded deep within the permafrost, a common practice in the region.
Thawing permafrost is leaving an indelible mark on residential and commercial properties in the region. The walls of some structures are subsiding and splitting apart [2]. According to Mikhail Kuznetsov, head of the federal agency for the development of the Russian Far East, more than 40 percent of buildings on permafrost are affected by thawing [3].
The Mercury Rises
The rise in temperatures is primarily to blame for the permafrost's demise, as Yakutia and some surrounding areas have seen an increase of around 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius over the past 30 years [4]. This trend is in line with global data showing that the last two years, 2023 and 2024, were the highest on record for temperature over the past 120,000 years [4].
Fossil fuel consumption is the main culprit driving global warming, making Russia the world's fifth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases [5].
A Buried Menace Awakens
The thawing permafrost not only poses environmental concerns but also potential health risks. The melting ice releases methane and carbon dioxide—two potent greenhouse gases that were trapped for millennia. This cycle of warming and gas release creates a vicious circle that worsens climate change and in turn triggers more permafrost thaw [6].
Beyond the climate, scientists worry about the release of bacteria and viruses trapped within the frozen soil, which, in some regions, may pose health risks. In 2016, a child in Siberia lost their life to anthrax, a disease that had not been reported in the area for 75 years. The outbreak was thought to have originated from a reindeer that had died from anthrax decades prior and was preserved in the permafrost [7]. Once released, the anthrax bacterium can survive for more than a century in frozen soil, posing a lingering threat to communities and wildlife.
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X21003858
[2] https://www.thelocal.co.uk/20220427/as-permafrost-melts-giant-mounds-spring-up-in-siberia
[3] https://www.reuters.com/world/china/climate-change-melting-russian-permafrost-threatens-infrastructure-experts-2021-11-15/
[4] https://www.euronews.com/green/2021/11/07/siberia-melting-quickly-as-permafrost-thaws
[5] https://unep.org/emissions-gap-report-2021
[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719310629
[7] https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2016.19982
- The unique, polygonal mounds that have emerged in Yakutia, a result of permafrost thawing, showcase an almost regular pattern, as can be seen in the remote outpost of Churapcha in eastern Siberia.
- In the urban landscape of Churapcha, homes and businesses are now being affected by the thawing permafrost, with some structures experiencing wall subsidence and splitting apart, as noted by Mikhail Kuznetsov, head of the federal agency for the development of the Russian Far East.
- The melting permafrost not only poses environmental concerns but also potential health risks, with the release of methane and carbon dioxide - potent greenhouse gases - causing further climate change, as well as the potential release of bacteria and viruses trapped within the frozen soil that could harm local communities and wildlife.
- The rise in temperatures in Yakutia has been attributed to climate change, with fossil fuel consumption being the main driver of global warming, making Russia one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases.
- The thawing permafrost presents challenges for mental health and overall health-and-wellness in Siberia, as seen in the 2016 anthrax outbreak in the region, which was thought to have originated from a reindeer carcass preserved in the permafrost for decades, causing the death of a child.
