Researchers need to work for more than six years to map all the frozen ground on the planet as part of the Permafrost Research Project. They are also taking the next step to document who lives on the permafrost, how they use it, and what its cultural significance is.
The Ultimate Goal of the Atlas
The ultimate goal of the atlas was to create something that is easy to access for policymakers who may have never heard of permafrost before, as well as for children and schools who want to learn more about the subject.
Contents of the Atlas
The project includes a document of nearly 160 pages loaded with many high-resolution maps, images, and graphs that explain what permafrost is, how it behaves in the far north, how it changes, and the impact of those changes.
Changes in Permafrost
Permafrost is land that remains frozen for at least two years. In many of the coldest regions of the Earth, including the Arctic, it is warming, melting, and moving quickly. This means that infrastructure is less stable, ecosystems are changing, and the cultures tied to life on frozen ground are transforming.
The Importance of the Atlas
Permafrost contains up to 16 million square kilometers of the Earth’s surface. In the Northern Hemisphere, 15 percent of exposed land is permafrost.
On its own, these statistics may not mean much. However, the authors of the Permafrost Atlas note that in the past two decades, “the number of searches for the term ‘permafrost’ has nearly doubled compared to the overall number of searches.”
In other words, people are becoming interested in frozen land. And now they have an atlas that can answer some of their questions. They can also learn directly from the people who live on and interact with permafrost daily.
Changes in Permafrost
Levy says that working on the project not only sparked his curiosity but also revealed what might be invisible. Paul adds that there are other elements in the project that also seem invisible.
As part of this process, the team also incorporated Indigenous knowledge and experience into the project. Levy says what is unique about the final version is the written accounts from people who live and work with permafrost daily.
The Atlas as a Living Document
Permafrost around the world is changing rapidly, and the atlas is filled with beautifully designed and highly informative map pages that tell its story from various angles. But this may not be the final product. The Permafrost Atlas can become a living document, according to Paul.
The Permafrost Atlas is available for free download online.
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