Energy & Science
Arctic Fires Are Melting Permafrost That Keeps Carbon Underground
A new analysis shows that fires in Alaska have an influence on landscape far beyond the area they burn.
Permafrost degradation in northern Alaska.
Photographer: Christian Andresen; Mark J. Lara/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Few things signal something's gone haywire on the planet quite like frozen land on fire. Now scientists have determined that Arctic fires, even milder ones, can reshape a landscape for decades, in ways that may make it even harder to keep global heating from eclipsing international goals.
