Frozen flume experiments reveal the sensitivity of permafrost riverbank erosion to water temperature, bank roughness, and pore-ice content.
permafrost
Posted inFeatures
Hunting for Methane Hot Spots at the Top of the World
A visit to an Alaskan wetland with some of the world’s highest lake marsh methane emissions brings scientists one step closer to understanding the phenomenon.
Posted inNews
As the Arctic Warms, These Rivers Are Slowing Down
The Arctic is warming up, but instead of large rivers migrating faster, they’re actually slowing down because of shrubification.
Posted inEditors' Vox
What We Know and Don’t Know About Climate Tipping Elements
As climate change continues, parts of the Earth system such as ice sheets, frozen soils, or the Amazon rainforest could shift—some quickly, some slowly—after crossing key thresholds or tipping points.
Posted inNews
A 1952 Landslide Hints at Early Permafrost Thaw in the Arctic
Scientists took a deeper look at a 70-year-old slide and found that climate change likely set the stage for the disaster.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Artificial Lake-Level Lowering Alleviates Floods in the Himalayas
A new model combining future permafrost degradation and related avalanches demonstrates that artificial lake-lowering could significantly reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Burning Tundra
As wildfires blaze through the Arctic, scientists examine the role of landscape characteristics on wildfire ecosystem responses in northern aquatic ecosystems.
Posted inFeatures
How an Unlikely Friendship Upended Permafrost Myths
“Beautifully long arguments” between an American scientist and a Russian researcher helped clarify several fundamental assumptions about permafrost thaw.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
It’s Cool to be Short When You’re in the Arctic Permafrost
Extensive ground temperature measurements complicate our understanding of how vegetation cover, snow duration, and microtopography influence the pace of permafrost thaw in a changing climate.
Posted inNews
Groundwater Flow May Contribute to Submarine Permafrost Thaw
New, detailed surveys from the Beaufort Sea reveal a seafloor depression the size of a city block associated with permafrost thaw and likely influenced by the movement of groundwater below.