Scientists issue urgent warning as US city faces catastrophe underneath residents' feet: 'It's all coming together to create a problem'

Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks recently pinpointed thawing permafrost as the primary cause of changing, unstable terrain in the coastal Point Lay region. 

What's happening?

Compiling data gathered from 62 boreholes over a two-year period — from temperature measurements to soil metrics — the researchers came to the conclusion that a whopping 60% of Point Lay's residential community may be at risk of ground surface collapse, according to a news release. The affected terrain contains ice wedge thermokarst, which gives it an eroded, hollowed-out texture as ice thaws and destabilizes once-solid ground. 

The study, published in Environmental Research: Ecology, expressed concerns for the local population with the rapidly degrading land and structural decline that may unfold as a result. 

"It's all coming together to create a problem that Point Lay is facing now, and it's happening 50 to 70 years faster than what models have predicted in the region," UAF associate professor Benjamin Jones noted.

Why is thawing permafrost concerning?

The ground subsidence in Point Lay has already contributed to infrastructure damage including road hazards, water and utility failures, and insecure foundations. Should the degradation continue, it's likely that it will become unsafe to live in Point Lay.

The researchers pointed to human-induced climate change as the reason for the rate of permafrost thaw. Namely, industrial and residential carbon pollution — whether from power plants or utilities, large-scale commercial transportation or combustion-based vehicles — traps heat within the atmosphere and drives up global temperatures.

Meanwhile, the melting of permafrost and other ice worldwide supercharges extreme weather events by adding warmth and moisture to the water and air that powers hurricanes, floods, and more, making otherwise natural catastrophes more potent and destructive.

What's being done to protect permafrost?

In the short term, the UAF team recommends communitywide safety measures for Point Lay, such as frequent drainage assessments and above-ground utility systems. Its research is part of the large-scale ACTION initiative by universities across the United States to analyze coastal terrain and better inform local authorities on how to mitigate risks.

While it's difficult to drastically reverse permafrost thaw, individuals and communities can take small steps to minimize damage. From taking public transit instead of your personal fuel-based car to swapping out gas-powered appliances for energy-efficient alternatives, you can make a difference by lowering your carbon impact.

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