Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 08:24
Forums
Arctic Sunlight and Microbial Interactions

Hi Mr. Bruce Taterka, My name is Gianni I am from St. Mark/Pope John Paul II Catholic School. My question for you is about thermokrast failure. Does thermokrast failure only happen to grounds that are disturbed by people or can it happen for other reasons? Thank-you and hope your expedition is successful!

Sun, 07/07/2013 - 11:27

Bruce Taterka

Hello Gianni -
That's a good question! Thermokarst failures happen in permafrost, which is soil that is permanently frozen. There's a lot of permafrost up here in the Arctic. What happens when a failure occurs is that the ice in the permafrost melts, which leaves the soil wet, loose, and unsupported, and then the soil slumps down or there can even be a major landslide.
So, the answer to your question is that a thermokarst failure doesn't need any direct action or disturbance by people to occur. All that's required is for the permafrost to warm up and thaw. Thawing can happen naturally or it can be caused by global warming.
Thanks for the question and the good wishes for a successful expedition. It's going weel so far!