Alaska’s Permafrost Is Thawing

2017年8月23日星期三

Alaska’s Permafrost Is Thawing

There's a climate time bomb of sorts ticking away in Alaska. As temperatures rise, the permafrost is thawing. And when it thaws it puts ancient carbon back into the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases.

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Alaska's Permafrost Is Thawing

Henry Fountain

Climate change reporter at The New York Times

Dear readers,

There's a climate time bomb of sorts ticking away in Alaska, as in other northern lands. As temperatures rise, permafrost — the permanently frozen land that underlies much of the state — is thawing. And when it thaws it starts to decompose, putting ancient carbon back into the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases.

Scientists are studying Alaskan permafrost, trying to get a handle on its future as the world warms. I accompanied a few of them to a part of the state where the permafrost is most threatened — the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in western Alaska. On the 60-mile helicopter flight from Bethel to the researchers' field station, I had a bird's-eye view of the beautiful tundra, a colorful mosaic of shrubs and grasses, lichens and mosses that is dotted with the deep blues of countless lakes.

Today we're publishing my article about how warming is already having an effect on this beautiful landscape and the permafrost beneath it. I invite you to read and share the article — which is accompanied by spectacular maps that clearly illustrate the problem, fantastic photographs and even a 360 video that I shot from the helicopter.

Please let me know what you think.

Henry Fountain
fountain@nytimes.com
@henryfountain on Twitter

As the permafrost thaws, the landscape above it changes. Stash Wislocki

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2017年8月23日星期三