Permafrost Impacts on Health Infrastructure

Location: Alaska

Start Date: May 23, 2012

Description: This project includes observations of permafrost change and related impacts to community health infrastructure including solid waste facilities, water and waste water systems.

Funding: ANTHC

Partners: Regional Tribal Health Consortium

Observing Protocols: Observers are asked to share observations of extreme or unusual environmental events related to permafrost thaw (erosion, subsidence and sink holes etc) that disrupt or damage health infrastructure. Photographs of the setting and details and measurements as appropriate are requested along with descriptions of the event, condition and implications.

Inputs: LEO Observations

Outputs: Selected LEO Network observations will be added to the project map. Observers are invited to participate in a community of practice on the topic, which may include training and sharing of methods and an on-going discussion. Observations will also be used to identify and evaluate community vulnerability to subsistence access challenges and for evaluation of potential prevention and adaptation measures.

Project Updates: Pending

Resources: Pending

Videos:

Adapting to a Changing Arctic: Permafrost Thaw – Selawik, Alaska, "About 70% of the houses in Selawik are impacted by permafrost thaw." Raymond Ballot, Mayor. Freeze up, result of broken waterline. | A simple level can be installed to monitor foundations. | With the rapid rate of thawing, many structures need to be leveled every year. | Allison Woodward - foundation level idea. By ANTHC Center for Climate and Health (Nov 2011)

Thawing Permafrost -- Changing Planet – Because of a warming atmosphere, permafrost -- the frozen ground that covers the top of the world -- has been thawing rapidly over the last three decades. But there is cause for concern beyond the far north, because the carbon released from thawing permafrost could raise global temperatures even higher. Source: The Changing Planet Video Series explores the impact that climate change is having on our planet, and is provided by the National Science Foundation Science360 Video & NBC Learn. (Dec 2012)

Thermokarst in Alaska's Arctic: Arctic Network Inventory and Monitoring Program – Permafrost underlies most of Alaska's Arctic and affects nearly everything in the arctic ecosystem. Thawing of permafrost produces pits, ponds, lakes, slumps and landslides. Dave Swanson, NPS terrestrial ecologist, takes you on an exploration of thermokarst features (thaw slumps) and explains how NPS monitors change in thermokarst (thaw slumps), in Alaska's most northern parks. For more information on thermokarst and other permafrost related features visit, National Park Service, Arctic Network. (Dec 2012)

Thaw Crater East Fork of Chandlar River – Two kayakers on the Chandalar River in Interior Alaska visit a huge crater caused by permafrost thaw. By Carter and Michael Brubaker. (Aug 2016)