Melting permafrost is causing landslides across the Arctic

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Ottawa shows how rising summer temperatures in the Arctic are affecting areas of permafrost.

As the permafrost thaws, the melting ice causes landslides, or thaw slumps. In one region of the Canadian Arctic, Professor Lewkowicz and his study co-author Robert Way found that thaw slumps were occurring with 60 times more frequency in 2013 compared to 1984.

“We cannot stop thousands of thaw slumps once they start,” said Professor Lewkowicz. “We can only make changes in our own lives to reduce our carbon footprint and we can encourage our politicians to take the necessary measures to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, so that future warming is as limited as possible.”

The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: University of Ottawa