Father-Son Duo Hopes to Slow Permafrost Melt in Arctic

This father-son duo hopes to bring back woolly mammoths to help slow permafrost melt in the Arctic.
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Scientist Sergey Zimov ignored orders to leave the arctic after the Soviet Union collapsed and instead found funding to continue his research at the Northeast Science Station. He and his son, Nikita Zimov, are trying to slow down the rate of permafrost melt by bringing large herbivores to the Pleistocene Park nature reserve. They’ve even said mammoths could live there if other scientists can manage to bring them back. The large animals trample snow underfoot, removing its blanket-like insulation and allowing the soil underneath to get colder in the winter. Research published in the journal Scientific Reports shows the approx. 200 species of animals brought to the park have dropped the ground temperature by 1.9°C, with even larger swings in the winter and spring.

While more research is needed to determine if this method is feasible across the Arctic, the paper said that introducing large animals could keep 37% of Arctic permafrost frozen. Researchers believe that thawing permafrost in Siberia could release the same amount, or more, greenhouse gasses compared to the EU’s industrial emissions. The frozen soil holds organic matter, which decomposes as it thaws and releases emissions such as CO2 and methane. Researchers say that Yakutia, the area surrounding Pleistocene Park, has warmed almost 3°C in the past 100 years. The rest of the world has warmed an average 1°C during that time. As the permafrost melts, infrastructure in Siberia is sinking and is expected to cost Russia $100 billion by 2050.

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