Above the Arctic Circle, Siberia’s landscape is largely treeless. The fires burn through tundra and bog-like landscapes. That includes areas undergird by permafrost, a type of frozen soil that locks up carbon. Rising temperatures are causing it thaw out, creating havoc in the region.
The fuel tank collapse that led to the diesel spill currently threatening an Arctic lake is a microcosm of the problems to come. Up to a third of Arctic infrastructure is sited on permafrost that could become unstable by midcentury, impacting up to 4 million people that directly rely on it.
