{"id":8597,"date":"2020-06-15T14:32:37","date_gmt":"2020-06-15T09:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/?p=8597"},"modified":"2020-06-15T14:32:37","modified_gmt":"2020-06-15T09:02:37","slug":"what-is-permafrost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/triumphias.com\/blog\/what-is-permafrost\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Permafrost?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Relevance: Prelims: Geography<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Why in news?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<\/section>\n

\n

\u2022 The principal reason that led to the recent 20,000-tonne oil leak at Norilsk at an Arctic region power plant in Russia<\/strong><\/span> is the sinking of ground surface due to permafrost thaw. The plant is built entirely on permafrost<\/strong><\/span>, whose weakening over the years due to climate change caused the pillars supporting a fuel tank at the plant to sink.<\/p>\n

\"What<\/p>\n

Permafrost:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u2022 Permafrost is any ground that remains completely frozen\u201432\u00b0F (0\u00b0C)<\/strong><\/span> or colder\u2014for at least two years straight. It is defined solely based on temperature and duration.<\/p>\n

\u2022 These permanently frozen grounds are most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth\u2019s higher latitudes\u2014near the North and South Poles.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Permafrost covers large regions of the Earth. Almost a quarter of the land area in the Northern Hemisphere has permafrost underneath.<\/p>\n

Composition:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 Permafrost is made of a combination of soil, rocks and sand that are held together by ice. The soil and ice in permafrost stay frozen all year long.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Near the surface, permafrost soils also contain large quantities of organic carbon\u2014a material leftover from dead plants that couldn\u2019t decompose, or rot away, due to the cold. Lower permafrost layers contain soils made mostly of minerals.<\/p>\n

\u2022 A layer of soil on top of permafrost does not stay frozen all year. This layer, called the active layer, thaws during the warm summer months and freezes again in the fall.<\/p>\n

\"Potential<\/p>\n

Impact of Climate Change on Permafrost:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Thawing<\/p>\n

\u2022 As Earth\u2019s climate warms, the permafrost is thawing. That means the ice inside the permafrost melts, leaving behind water and soil. Thawing permafrost can have dramatic impacts on our planet.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Many northern villages are built on permafrost. Thawing permafrost can destroy houses, roads and other infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u2022 When permafrost is frozen, plant material in the soil\u2014called organic carbon\u2014can\u2019t decompose, or rot away. As permafrost thaws, microbes begin decomposing this material which releases greenhouse gases the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u2022 When permafrost thaws, so do ancient bacteria and viruses in the ice and soil. These newly-unfrozen microbes could make humans and animals very sick.<\/p>\n

\"Can<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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