Urgent need for better monitoring of sinking ground across the Arctic says study

A study in the journal Environmental Research Letters calls for systematic monitoring of thaw subsidence, the sinking of ground as permafrost thaws, in frozen-ground regions around the world. The authors state that permafrost terrain is changing in form, with effects on water systems, ecosystems and human infrastructure. They say a monitoring system is needed so that data can be exchanged consistently and continuously between regions.

Permafrost is soil that stays frozen all year and lies under much of the Arctic. As climate change warms it, it thaws and the layers above lose stability, so the surface sinks and cracks. Monitoring is limited outside engineering work on roads, railroads and pipelines, but reviewed studies from North America and Eurasia confirmed that subsidence is widespread. Human activity and wildfires make matters worse, according to the paper. The thaw also releases carbon monoxide and methane that had been trapped in the ground, which adds to global warming.

The work was done by a team from George Washington University, in the United States. It covered data from permafrost regions in North America, Europe and Asia, and on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, plus the monitoring technologies in use and the academic literature. Canada and the U.S. had among the strongest systems, while data elsewhere was inconsistent. Alaska and North Western Territories have measurements that run longer and cover more ground. Northern Eurasia and the Plateau have limited data open to review. The paper adds that data may be collected there but kept from the public by language, geopolitical and other barriers. The researchers concluded that the gap stems mostly from a lack of funding, political hurdles and differing monitoring methods.

The authors say satellites, drones and LiDAR, which uses lasers to measure distances, already make mapping of big, remote areas easier. Artificial intelligence and cloud computing are also expected to matter. On the ground, thaw tubes, which show the depth of soil thaw, and GPS surveys are cost-effective ways to follow change. The paper says pairing ground tools with satellite data could give a much clearer view of permafrost thaw worldwide.