Snow, Ice & Permafrost Group
Fairbanks, Alaska—For many years now, scientists have been tracking the thaw of permafrost throughout the Arctic. Since permafrost with the highest ice content is usually found closer to the ground surface where our structures are, Alaskans and other Arctic communities face major changes in the future if the degradation continues. Ecosystems, buildings, roads, and pipelines will likely lose their stability as the ground beneath them shifts.
An Alaska researcher and her colleague from the University of British Columbia have calculated that the rate of sea-level rise due to the meltwater from glaciers in Alaska and elsewhere will increase by as much as 60 percent by the year 2100, and that half of the world’s smallest glaciers won’t survive until then.

