Upcoming danger-Permafrost
2020 just a beginning Upcoming dangers. Because of COVID-19, the whole world is suffering from this pandemic. The next upcoming danger is due to global warming and the melting of Permafrost. Permafrost is found underground which is frozen with soil, rock, and sand.
Effects on Planet
Greenhouse gases
Permafrost consists of dead plant and animals matter which is not decomposed due to ice the microbes begin to decompose which leads to release methane and other hydrocarbons which are powerful greenhouse gases.
This accelerates global warming and it melts the other permafrost and ice faster. It raises the temperature and leads rise of sea level.
The organic-rich permafrost holds an estimation of 1500 billion tones of carbon. That is two times much carbon present in the atmosphere and three times much carbon present in the forest.
Megasiumps can also form due to the underground ice melt and it changes the structure of the land and also create more greenhouse gases.
Disease risk
Researches say that there may be bacteria, viruses, and fungus present in permafrost. The outbreak of these viruses and bacteria leads to another pandemic.
The Yamalo-Nenets in Siberia experienced three outbreaks of anthrax during July and August 2016. These killed a 12-year-old boy, more than 2300 reindeer, and 4 dogs. Further two dozens people were found as infected. The infections are attributed to the soil that was contaminated by the virus during the 19th and 20th centuries. Since then the soil has remained frozen in permafrost, due to unusual summer in 2016 leads to the outbreak.
Pithovirus which was discovered in 2014 which is a giant virus that infects on an amoeba. It was found when a viable specimen was found in the 30000-year-old ice core harvested from permafrost in Siberia, Russia.
Like this many viruses may also be hiding under the ice core or permafrost which humankind has never seen before.
The threat to infrastructure
As the temperature rises the binding ice in permafrost melts and makes the ground unstable and creat massive landslides and floods. The sinking effects also damage the key infrastructure such as roadways, railways, buildings, powerlines, and pipes.
Most of the buildings, structures, powerplants in the northern hemisphere are built above permafrost. If Permafrost starts to melt it leads to massive destruction.
We have the risk of leak of fossil fuel in the Arctic. In 2020 approximately 5 billion gallons diesel fuel spill from a power station near the Arctic town of Norilsk, Russia. which was built above the permafrost. The oil leak has affected people, plants, and animals. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a state of emergency. The oil tank collapsed because the permafrost below got melted due to the weather this the pillar holding the tank got weak, and reporters say that oil was left into the river which covered 12Km on its surface. AFP news agency that it is the second-largest oil leak in Modern Russia's history in terms of volume. If the diesel reaches the ocean it is going to affect the whole earth's environment. The oil leak is not caused only by Russia it was caused by everyone.
Some Atomic powerplant is also situated on permafrost. Imagine if it damages the powerplant or oil reservoirs or oil well it will damage the whole environment.
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