A
emote
village
o
Alaska’s
No th
Slope
is
faci g
a
g owi g
th eat
f om
be eath
its
feet.
I
Poi t
Lay,
also
k ow
as
Kali,
thawi g
ice- ich
g ou d
is
causi g
the
la d
to
si k
u eve ly,
damagi g
buildi gs
a d
esse tial
i f ast uctu e.
Resea che s
studyi g
the
commu ity
have
docume ted
widesp ead
g ou d
subside ce
a d
fou d
that
la ge
qua tities
of
ice
a e
f oze
withi
the
soil
be eath
the
village.
As
that
ice
melts,
the
g ou d
ca
lose
volume
a d
stability,
leavi g
fou datio s
a d
utility
systems
vul e able.
But
the
p oblem
exte ds
fa
beyo d
the
village
itself.
The
f oze
soil
also
co tai s
a cie t
o ga ic
mate ial
that
has
emai ed
t apped
fo
thousa ds
of
yea s.
As
the
g ou d
thaws,
mic obes
ca
b eak
dow
that
mate ial
a d
elease
ca bo
dioxide
a d
metha e,
addi g
to
co ce s
about
climate
cha ge.
Why
this
emote
Alaska
village
is
slowly
si ki g
Poi t
Lay
is
a
small
Iñupiat
commu ity
o
Alaska’s
No th
Slope,
whe e
much
of
the
g ou d
emai s
f oze
fo
most
o
all
of
the
yea .
The
f oze
soil
co tai s
la ge
amou ts
of
g ou d
ice,
i cludi g
ice
wedges
that
fo med
ove
lo g
pe iods.
As
tempe atu es
ise,
that
ice
ca
melt
a d
leave
empty
spaces
u de g ou d.
The
su ou di g
soil
the
settles
i to
those
spaces,
causi g
the
su face
to
si k
o
defo m.
Resea che s
have
obse ved
sig s
of
this
p ocess
ac oss
Poi t
Lay,
with
u eve
g ou d
affecti g
buildi gs,
oads
a d
bu ied
utilities.
Some
st uctu es
have
become
tilted
as
the
la d
be eath
them
cha ges,
tu i g
what
o ce
appea ed
to
be
a
stable
fou datio
i to
a
movi g
la dscape.A
detailed
study
published
i
E vi o me tal
Resea ch:
Commu icatio s
exami ed
Poi t
Lay
usi g
field
i vestigatio s,
bo eholes,
g ou d-tempe atu e
measu eme ts,
emote
se si g
a d
i te views
with
local
eside ts.
Resea che s
fou d
widesp ead
the moka st
developme t
a d
g ou d
subside ce
associated
with
thawi g
ice- ich
pe maf ost.
I
pa ts
of
the
commu ity,
excess
ice
made
up
oughly
40%
of
the
g ou d
i vestigated,
while
some
ice
wedges
exte ded
mo e
tha
12
met es
below
the
su face.
The
esea che s
also
ide tified
evide ce
that
the
seaso ally
thawed
active
laye
has
become
deepe
ove
time,
with
pa ticula ly
p o ou ced
cha ges
du i g
the
21st
ce tu y.
These
fi di gs
p ovide
di ect
evide ce
that
wa mi g
is
cha gi g
the
physical
st uctu e
of
the
g ou d
be eath
the
commu ity.
What
happe s
whe
f oze
g ou d
begi s
to
thaw
Pe maf ost
is
g ou d
that
emai s
at
o
below
0°C
fo
at
least
two
co secutive
yea s.
It
ca
co tai
soil,
sedime ts
a d
la ge
amou ts
of
f oze
wate .
I
a eas
such
as
Poi t
Lay,
that
f oze
wate
helps
give
the
g ou d
its
st e gth
a d
st uctu e.
Whe
the
ice
melts,
the
soil
ca
compact
a d
settle.
If
the
thaw
occu s
u eve ly,
some
a eas
ca
si k
much
mo e
tha
othe s,
c eati g
dep essio s
a d
u stable
su faces.
This
p ocess,
k ow
as
the moka st
developme t,
ca
damage
buildi g
fou datio s
a d
place
st ess
o
oads,
wate
pipes,
sewe
li es
a d
othe
i f ast uctu e.
The
cha ges
ca
happe
g adually,
but
thei
effects
ca
become
i c easi gly
difficult
a d
expe sive
to
ma age.The
co seque ces
i
Poi t
Lay
a e
ot
limited
to
scie tific
measu eme ts.
The
commu ity
has
expe ie ced
p oblems
i volvi g
wate ,
sa itatio
a d
i f ast uctu e
as
the
g ou d
becomes
less
stable.
The
U ive sity
of
Alaska
Fai ba ks
has
docume ted
past
i cide ts
li ked
to
pe maf ost
deg adatio ,
i cludi g
the
d ai age
of
the
commu ity’s
f eshwate
d i ki g
lake
i
2016
a d
damage
i volvi g
wate
i f ast uctu e.
Reside ts
have
also
epo ted
cha ges
to
the
la dscape
that
affect
t avel
a d
access
ac oss
the
a ea.
Fo
a
commu ity
i
a
emote
A ctic
e vi o me t,
damage
to
basic
i f ast uctu e
ca
be
pa ticula ly
difficult
because
epai s
a e
expe sive,
specialised
equipme t
is
ofte
equi ed
a d
t a spo tatio
optio s
a e
limited.
This
is
pa t
of
a
much
bigge
Alaska
p oblem
Poi t
Lay
is
o e
example
of
a
wide
challe ge
faci g
commu ities
th oughout
Alaska.
A
study
published
i
Commu icatio s
Ea th
&
E vi o me t
assessed
buildi gs
a d
oads
i
285
Alaska
commu ities
a d
estimated
that
pe maf ost- elated
damage
could
cost
the
state
betwee
$37
billio
a d
$51
billio
by
2055
to
2064,
depe di g
o
the
futu e
emissio s
pathway.
The
esea che s
mapped
about
53
millio
squa e
met es
of
buildi g
footp i ts
a d
mo e
tha
50,000
kilomet es
of
oads.
Thei
fi di gs
suggest
that
the
fi a cial
co seque ces
of
thawi g
g ou d
could
be
fa
g eate
tha
p eviously
estimated
because
la ge
amou ts
of
i f ast uctu e
a e
exposed
to
cha gi g
soil
co ditio s.The
physical
damage
is
o ly
pa t
of
the
co ce .
A ctic
f oze
soils
co tai
huge
qua tities
of
o ga ic
ca bo
accumulated
f om
pla ts
a d
othe
o ga isms
ove
thousa ds
of
yea s.
Ext emely
cold
co ditio s
have
slowed
decompositio ,
allowi g
much
of
that
mate ial
to
emai
sto ed
i
the
g ou d.
Whe
the
soil
thaws,
mic oo ga isms
ca
become
active
a d
begi
b eaki g
dow
the
p eviously
f oze
mate ial.
That
p ocess
ca
elease
ca bo
dioxide
i to
the
atmosphe e
a d,
i
wate logged
o
oxyge -poo
co ditio s,
p oduce
metha e.
Scie tists
a e
pa ticula ly
i te ested
i
this
p ocess
because
it
c eates
a
climate
feedback
i
which
isi g
tempe atu es
ca
accele ate
thaw,
while
g ee house
gases
eleased
f om
thawi g
soils
ca
co t ibute
to
additio al
wa mi g.
Thawi g
g ou d
ca
become
much
mo e
pe meable
A
2026
study
led
by
esea che s
at
the
U ive sity
of
Leeds
fou d
that
thawi g
pe maf ost
ca
become
25
to
100
times
mo e
pe meable
to
gases.
I
labo ato y
expe ime ts,
the
esea che s
wa med
f oze
samples
a d
mo ito ed
how
easily
gases
could
move
th ough
them.
They
fou d
that
pe meability
cha ged
d amatically
as
the
f oze
mate ial
app oached
a d
passed
th ough
the
thawi g
poi t.
The
esult
suggests
that
gases
sto ed
withi
o
p oduced
i side
thawi g
g ou d
may
gai
additio al
pathways
to
escape.
Howeve ,
the
esea ch
does
ot
mea
that
all
A ctic
f oze
g ou d
will
sudde ly
elease
massive
amou ts
of
metha e.
Gas
elease
depe ds
o
local
soil,
tempe atu e,
moistu e
a d
mic obial
co ditio s.The
la ge
ca bo
sto e
i
A ctic
soils
has
become
o e
of
the
majo
u ce tai ties
i
futu e
climate
p ojectio s.
Whe
f oze
o ga ic
mate ial
thaws,
some
ca bo
ca
e te
the
atmosphe e,
while
some
ca
emai
i
the
soil
o
move
i to
ive s
a d
coastal
wate s.
The
amou t
eleased
va ies
depe di g
o
whethe
thaw
happe s
g adually
o
th ough
ab upt
g ou d
collapse,
as
well
as
local
vegetatio
a d
hyd ology.
This
makes
the
p ocess
difficult
to
p edict
p ecisely.
Scie tists
the efo e
ge e ally
desc ibe
pe maf ost
ca bo
as
a
climate
feedback
athe
tha
a
i evitable
sudde
ca bo
elease
eve t.
The
co ce
is
that
co ti ued
wa mi g
could
g adually
t a sfo m
some
A ctic
la dscapes
f om
lo g-te m
ca bo
sto es
i to
sou ces
of
g ee house
gases.
The
th eat
is
ot
just
about
ca bo
Thawi g
f oze
g ou d
ca
c eate
othe
e vi o me tal
a d
public
health
co ce s
as
well.
Cha ges
i
soil
st uctu e
ca
alte
d ai age,
destabilise
slopes
a d
affect
wate
systems.
Resea che s
have
also
i vestigated
whethe
thawi g
g ou d
could
allow
atu ally
occu i g
ado ,
a
adioactive
gas,
to
move
mo e
easily
th ough
soil
a d
i to
buildi gs.
The
sig ifica ce
of
that
isk
va ies
widely
betwee
locatio s,
a d
it
should
ot
be
i te p eted
as
evide ce
of
a
co fi med
ado
eme ge cy
i
Poi t
Lay.
Still,
it
illust ates
how
the
b eakdow
of
f oze
g ou d
ca
affect
systems
that
commu ities
have
lo g
elied
upo .
Poi t
Lay
offe s
a
wa i g
fo
othe
A ctic
commu ities
What
is
happe i g
i
Poi t
Lay
shows
how
climate
cha ge
ca
eshape
a
commu ity
without
a
si gle
d amatic
disaste .
The e
is
o
sudde
flood
sweepi g
the
e ti e
village
away.
I stead,
the
g ou d
itself
is
g adually
cha gi g.
Fou datio s
ca
shift,
oads
ca
defo m
a d
bu ied
pipes
ca
become
vul e able
as
the
ice
suppo ti g
the
la dscape
disappea s.
The
same
p ocess
is
occu i g
i
diffe e t
fo ms
i
othe
A ctic
commu ities
ac oss
Alaska,
Ca ada
a d
Sibe ia.
The
exte t
of
the
damage
va ies,
but
the
u de lyi g
p oblem
is
simila :
i f ast uctu e
desig ed
fo
pe ma e tly
f oze
g ou d
is
i c easi gly
bei g
exposed
to
a
wa me
a d
less
p edictable
e vi o me t.Poi t
Lay’s
si ki g
g ou d
offe s
a
visible
example
of
a
much
la ge
A ctic
t a sfo matio .
The
melti g
of
g ou d
ice
ca
th eate
homes
a d
i f ast uctu e
today,
while
the
thawi g
of
a cie t
o ga ic
mate ial
could
i flue ce
the
climate
beyo d
Alaska
i
the
decades
ahead.
Scie tists
a e
still
wo ki g
to
dete mi e
how
quickly
diffe e t
la dscapes
will
thaw,
how
much
ca bo
will
ultimately
be
eleased
a d
how
much
of
that
ca bo
will
become
ca bo
dioxide
o
metha e.
What
is
al eady
clea
is
that
the
f oze
g ou d
be eath
A ctic
commu ities
is
ot
a
pe ma e t
fou datio .
As
tempe atu es
ise,
it
is
becomi g
a
active
pa t
of
the
climate
system,
with
co seque ces
that
ca
exte d
f om
a
small
village
o
Alaska’s
coast
to
the
wide
wo ld.
