Arctic Permafrost Atlas

Abstract

Climate change is having a profound effect on every part of the globe but perhaps nowhere more so than on the Earth’s cryosphere. The Arctic Permafrost Atlas is a consolidation of the available knowledge on permafrost, offering insights into the diverse aspects of permafrost and the impacts of climate change on permafrost. It gathers the knowledge from the voices of scientists, Indigenous Peoples, northern residents, and local practitioners to provide a holistic and inclusive view of today’s challenges in the “country of permafrost”. The atlas is divided into seven chapters: introduction to permafrost; permafrost and climate change; permafrost change in terrestrial, coastal, and subsea permafrost; impacts of permafrost thaw on infrastructure, health, and economies; adaptation to permafrost thaw; permafrost outside the Arctic; and concludes by showing the links between the physical processes, key hazards, and consequences and the actions needed to address them.