Permafrost - The Skeleton of Alaska

A skeleton is to a human body what permafrost is to Arctic land

—Panda et al.

 

Permafrost is frozen ground that is consistently frozen for two or more years. This frozen soil shapes the ecosystems it underlays, affecting the landscape itself, and therefore the hydrology, plants and animals that live in the environment. Just like food in a freezer during a power failure, thawing permafrost is a symptom of global warming. The climate is changing which is causing permafrost to thaw. Thawing permafrost affects humans, landscapes, wildlife & plant communities, and the carbon cycle.Researchers in Denali National Park and Preserve, and throughout the world, are studying permafrost and documenting changes on the landscape as a result of thaw. The current rate of change is negatively impacting landscapes overlaying permafrost, making it so that some plant and wildlife species are not able to adapt at the rate needed to survive. Scientists are trying to connect with land managers, who in turn are working to come up with solutions to lessen the impact that these changes are having on landscapes and infrastructure.

 

Permafrost Landscapes

Learn more about the role of permafrost in Denali.

Research and Monitoring

Discover what scientists are doing to study permafrost.

A Changing Climate

Find out how permafrost relates to climate change

Permafrost Stories

Reckoning with the personal and cultural impacts of permafrost changes.