“Drunken Forests” In Alaska Are Another Sign Of Melting Permafrost (HBO)
FAIRBANKS, Alaska — In parts of Alaska, the ground is sinking so much that trees are growing almost horizontally. It’s an area scientists refer to as a “drunken forest.”
Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are only beginning to understand the severity of the situation. They’re awaiting the results from their second yearly flight over the boreal forests of northern Alaska to look for changes in the layer of frozen soil at the root of the problem: melting permafrost.
A change in the depth of the permafrost could have frightening consequences for the climate.
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