https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3153/thawing-permafrost-could-leach-microbes-chemicals-into-environment/

When I first heard of Permafrost, I thought it was something that would pop out of a cartoon. But the truth is? It's much more dangerous than we anticipate it to be. Everyone knows about Global Warming, it's serious, and it's clearly visible for us. But it's also important for us to take a deeper turn and see what our actions contribute to underneath our naked eyes.

Permafrost is ground that has stayed frozen for at least two years or more. Most of it is found in the Arctic, like in Alaska, Siberia, and Canada. On the surface it might just look like normal soil or grass, but deep down it is solid frozen dirt and ice. Many people don’t realy think about permafrost, but it is becoming a big global problem. 

The issue is that as the Earth warms up, permafrost starts to melt. When this happens, two big problems come out. First, the frozen ground holds a huge amount of carbon and methane gas. If it melts, all that gas is released into the air, which makes climate change worse. Scientists call it a “ticking time bomb.” Second, melting permafrost can damage buildings, roads, and pipelines that are built on top of it. Whole towns in the Arctic are having trouble with their houses sinking because the ground underneath is no longer stable. 

Another scary part is that permafrost also traps old viruses and bacteria. Some of these are thousands of years old. If the ice melts, there is a chance that these germs could wake up and infect animals or even people. A few cases already happened in Siberia with anthrax coming back from old reindeer carcasses. 

Permafrost may seem like just frozen dirt far away from most people, but it’s really an important global hazard. If it keeps melting, it could add more greenhouse gasses, destroy northern communities, and maybe even bring back ancient diseases. That’s why it’s something the world needs to pay more atention to. Especially us citizens, where we have the ability to change the future that no one wants.

Iberdrola. “Melting permafrost: why is it a serious threat to the planet?” Iberdrola Sustainability, n.d. Iberdrola

Natural Resources Defense Council. “Permafrost: Everything You Need to Know.” NRDC, 26 June 2018. NRDC

EPA. “Climate Change Indicators: Permafrost.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Dec. 2024. US EPA