What happens when the permafrost thaws

There’s a ‘climate bomb’ ticking beneath the Arctic ice. How can we prepare?

Dramatic images of massive ice shelves breaking off into the ocean and the emaciated bodies of starving polar bears are often used to illustrate the impact of climate change on Arctic landscapes. However, as this short film explores, perhaps the greatest cause for concern is the increasing vulnerability of Arctic permafrost. Often hidden from human view, this ‘scrubby brown dirt’ contains aeons of accumulated greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere once it thaws – which has been happening at unprecedented rates thanks to rising temperatures. Featuring interviews with climate scientists as well as those living on the frontlines of this slow-moving crisis, the film highlights both the vital role of permafrost in the climate and the need to listen to the Arctic communities already being affected.

Video by The Royal Society, BBC Ideas