Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 09/04/2013 - 13:27

Hey Mr Taterka, i really enjoyed all the articles/pictures that you posted- very interesting! Also i have a question on the Thermokarst failures, particularly about the one from 2006 you posted. I was wondering how damaging this activity is and how it affects not only the wildlife of land it takes up, but the lake and its ecosystem as well? Thank you! - David Curtin

Anonymous

David -
The impact is probably bigger on the lake than the tundra, but it certainly would cause problems for anything in the immediate area. The thermokarst also releases and exposes previously frozen carbon to the air and water, which promotes the production of CO2 and methane, which leads to warming, which leads to more thermokarst, and on and on in a "positive feedback loop." We'll talk more about these in Envi Sci class.
- Mr. T