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The 2016 Siberian Anthrax outbreak wasn’t just a freak accident—it was a warning shot. Thawing ... [+] permafrost had awakened something dangerous, and this was just a glimpse of what might be lurking in the ice.
Beneath the Arctic tundra lies a biological time capsule of Earth’s past, undisturbed for thousands—sometimes millions—of years. It covers about 15% of the Northern Hemisphere, preserving more than just ice.
Locked inside are ancient organic matter, potent greenhouse gases and something far more unsettling: long-dormant microbes, including bacteria and viruses that modern life has never encountered.
Atop this frozen vault sits the “active layer,” a thin crust of soil that thaws and refreezes each year, supporting Arctic ecosystems. But as the planet warms, this fragile balance is breaking. Permafrost—stable for millennia—is now thawing at an accelerating pace, breaking open microbial vaults from a prehistoric world.
What Is Permafrost, And Why Is It Critical To The Arctic Ecosystem?
At its core, permafrost is soil, rock or sediment that has remained frozen for at least two consecutive years. But in the Arctic, it’s far more than just frozen ground—it’s a keystone of the entire ecosystem.
Permafrost acts as nature’s foundation in the Arctic, providing structural stability for landscapes that would otherwise collapse. Many Arctic plants and animals have adapted to rely on permafrost’s consistency, from forests that root into its surface layer to migratory species that depend on the tundra’s seasonal cycles. When permafrost remains frozen, the ecosystem above it functions as expected. But when it thaws unpredictably, the results are catastrophic.
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