Context
Researchers analyzing sediment in Alaska’s Yukon River observed that eroding permafrost is contributing mercury-laden sediments to the river.
About
- In the Arctic, plants absorb mercury, then die and become a part of the soil, which subsequently freezes into permafrost.
- Over lots of years, mercury concentrations build up in the frozen soil till it thaws, an increasingly common incidence because of climate change.
- Mercury quantity in permafrost is more than the full of all oceans, soils, environment and biosphere of the earth.
- Scholars have warned the world of an excellent ‘large mercury bomb’ that may quickly explode.
- The metal accumulates in the meals chain specifically through people’s customary diets of fish and game.
What is Permafrost?
- Permafrost is basically any surface that remains frozen — 0 degree Celsius or lower — for at least 2 years immediately.
- It is composed of “a combination of soil, rocks, and sand that are held together via ice. The soil and ice in permafrost remain frozen all year long.”
- Although the surface remains perennially frozen, permafrost regions aren’t always included with snow.
- These permanently frozen grounds are often observed in Arctic regions including Greenland, Alaska (america), Canada, Russia, and Eastern Europe.
Consequences of melting of permafrost
- Melting permafrost alters the habitat for flowers and animals, doubtlessly disrupting neighborhood ecosystems and threatening biodiversity.
- Thawing permafrost causes the surface to grow to be risky, leading to the sinking or disintegration of homes, roads, pipelines, and different infrastructure.
- Permafrost acts as a freezer for ancient microorganism and viruses. Thawing may want to potentially launch those pathogens, posing a threat of new or re-rising diseases.
- As permafrost thaws, naturally trapped in the frozen surface decomposes, freeing carbon dioxide and methane. This procedure hurries up worldwide warming.
Source: The Hindu