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Research finds frozen ground in the Arctic is sinking at an increased rate

A new study from the George Washington University shows that frozen ground is sinking at an alarming rate across high-latitude and high-altitude cold regions of the Arctic.

The study, based on diverse data from regions across North America and Eurasia, found that thaw subsidence—the sinking or settling of frozen ground, also known as permafrost, as it thaws—is widespread and happening at accelerating rates, with serious implications, including ecosystem, infrastructure and landscape disruptions.

In addition, wildfires and human activities such as construction accelerate this process, the study found. The study authors indicate that more widespread, systemic monitoring of thaw subsidence is urgently needed.

Lead researcher Dmitry Streletskiy is a professor of Geography and International Affairs at the George Washington University Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. The study, "Thawing Permafrost is Subsiding in the Northern Hemisphere—Review and Perspectives" was in Environmental Research Letters.