Permafrost is a cryospheric topic referring to ground (soil, sediment, or rock, with included ice and organic material) that remains at or below 0 °C for at least two consecutive years. Its thermal and hydrological regimes are governed by surface energy balance, snow cover, vegetation, and ground ice content, leading to stratified active layers that thaw seasonally above a perennially frozen substrate. Permafrost dynamics influence geomorphological processes such as thermokarst formation, ground subsidence, and slope instability, and critically regulate carbon and methane fluxes from frozen organic matter. Research on permafrost integrates climatology, biogeochemistry, geotechnical engineering, and remote sensing to quantify its stability and feedbacks within the Earth system.
One of the defining features of an arctic environment is permafrost, which covers almost 10% of Earth's surface and remains entirely frozen year round. With temperatures reaching more extreme levels more frequently, the U.S. ...
Environment
Aug 12, 2025
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A new commentary published in Nature Communications by Dr. James Bradley, Reader in Environmental Science at Queen Mary University of London, and his team reveals a dramatic and concerning shift in the Arctic winter.
Environment
Jul 21, 2025
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Scientists have found evidence that the Asian continent was free of permafrost all the way to its northerly coast with the Arctic Ocean when Earth's average temperature was 4.5˚C warmer than today, suggesting that the whole ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 3, 2025
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The permafrost in Switzerland's Alps is the warmest since records began, the Swiss Academy of Sciences announced Tuesday.
Environment
Jun 18, 2025
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The Arctic is warming almost four times faster than the rest of the planet. High temperatures are already causing the permanently frozen ground, known as permafrost, to thaw. The carbon contained in this soil is then released ...
Earth Sciences
May 26, 2025
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Climate change is melting glaciers and permafrost in the mountains outside of Boulder, Colorado, exposing rocks and freeing up minerals containing sulfate, a form of sulfur, to flow downstream into local watersheds.
Earth Sciences
May 16, 2025
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In the vast white expanse around Churapcha in eastern Siberia, the ever more rapid thaw of the permafrost is changing the landscape, cracking up houses and releasing greenhouse gases.
Environment
Apr 30, 2025
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85
The surface of Mars is known for being an extremely cold, desiccated, and irradiated place. But as its many surface features attest, the red planet was once a warmer, wetter place with flowing water and glaciers. Today, most ...
Planetary Sciences
Mar 29, 2025
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In the Arctic, permafrost plays a crucial role in building infrastructure. However, as the region warms and permafrost thaws, infrastructure is threatened as the ground shifts beneath the built environment. Unfortunately, ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 26, 2025
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Siberia, a province located in Russia, is a significant geographical region playing a crucial role in the world's carbon cycle. With its vast forests, wetlands, and permafrost regions (permanently frozen grounds), Siberia ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 25, 2025
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