International News
THAW OF PERMAFROST CREATING
MAJOR IMPACTS ON BUILT ENVIRONMENT
By University of Helsinki
This occurrence is set to damage buildings , facilities , and infrastructure , leading to tens of billions of euros in additional costs in the near future .
Permafrost has a central role in the sustainable development of the Arctic region and the impacts are reported according to an international review coordinated by Finnish geographers .
The warming and thawing of ice-rich permafrost poses considerable threats to the integrity of polar and high-altitude infrastructure , in turn jeopardising sustainable development . In this review , we explore the extent and costs of observed and predicted infrastructure damage associated with permafrost degradation , and the methods available to mitigate such adverse consequences .
Permafrost change imposes various threats to infrastructure , namely through warming , active layer thickening and thaw-related hazards such as thermokarst ( an erosional process unique to permafrost with excess ice ) and mass wasting . These impacts , often linked to anthropogenic warming , are exacerbated through increased human activity .
Observed infrastructure damage is substantial , with up to 80 % of buildings in some Russian cities and ~ 30 % of some road surfaces in the Qinghai – Tibet Plateau reporting damage . Under anthropogenic warming , infrastructure damage is projected to continue , with 30 – 50 % of critical circumpolar infrastructure thought to be at high risk by 2050 .
“ Permafrost change imposes various threats to infrastructure ”
Accordingly , permafrost degradation-related infrastructure costs could rise to tens of billions of US dollars by the second half of the century . Several mitigation techniques exist to alleviate these impacts , including convection embankments , thermosyphons and piling foundations , with proven success at preserving and cooling permafrost and stabilising infrastructure . To be effective , however , better understanding is needed on the regions at high risk .
All images by Vladimir Romanovsky
Permafrost exists extensively in the Arctic region and in mountain ranges , in places such as the Tibetan plateau . Both the construction itself and the warming of the climate cause permafrost to thaw , which in turn threatens both existing infrastructure and future construction projects .
In the literature review , which covered the permafrost area of the whole Northern Hemisphere , it was noticed that the proportion of damaged structures in the entire building stock ranged from less than 10 % to as high as 80 %. Russia had the greatest share of damage , while on the Tibetan plateau and in parts of Canada , damage was about 30 %.
“ According to published research , damage was lowest in the European permafrost area , such as the Alps and Svalbard ”, says Professor Jan Hjort of the Geography Research Unit at the University of Oulu .
FORECASTS REVEAL GROWING DAMAGE AND RISING COSTS As much as 70 % of today ' s infrastructure is in the risk area , when the warming of the ground caused by climate
A private house north of Fairbanks is unevenly sinking into thawing ice-rich permafrost .
Damage is forecast to reach and exceed tens of billions of euros in the near future .
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