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Henry FountainClimate change reporter at The New York Times |
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| Dear readers, | |
| There’s a climate time bomb of sorts ticking away in Alaska, as in other northern lands. As temperatures rise, permafrost — the permanently frozen land that underlies much of the state — is thawing. And when it thaws it starts to decompose, putting ancient carbon back into the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases. | |
| Scientists are studying Alaskan permafrost, trying to get a handle on its future as the world warms. I accompanied a few of them to a part of the state where the permafrost is most threatened — the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge in western Alaska. On the 60-mile helicopter flight from Bethel to the researchers’ field station, I had a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful tundra, a colorful mosaic of shrubs and grasses, lichens and mosses that is dotted with the deep blues of countless lakes. | |
| Today we’re publishing my article about how warming is already having an effect on this beautiful landscape and the permafrost beneath it. I invite you to read and share the article — which is accompanied by spectacular maps that clearly illustrate the problem, fantastic photographs and even a 360 video that I shot from the helicopter. | |
| Please let me know what you think. | |
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Henry Fountain fountain@nytimes.com @henryfountain on Twitter |
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