By By Karen Graham Feb 28, 2017 in Environment Across Canada's Northwest Territories, huge slabs of thawing Arctic permafrost are slumping and disintegrating, sending rivers of carbon-rich mud and silt into waterways. This will lead to a climate-driven geomorphic transformation of our ecosystem. Many readers may remember the The doomed lake, which has no name and sits in the northern corner of the territory near the community of Fort McPherson, is a victim of the region’s geology and changing climate. Handout/University of Alberta / Scott Zolkos Thawing permafrost has already caused noticeable changes in the landscape in some Arctic regions and scientists have been tracking temperature changes and thawing of the permafrost for years. When permafrost thaws, large thaw slumps develop, some of them impacting over 30 hectares (74 acres) in area. This can dramatically alter slopes and impact downstream environments. READ MORE: UN REPORTS HIGHEST ARCTIC TEMPERATURES ON RECORD Mapping the Thaw Slumps in the NWT In 2015, Steve Kokelj of the NWT Geological Survey told the Canadian Press the thaw slumps were getting bigger and more numerous with the increase in temperatures and rainfall. At that time, Kokelj estimated the land affected by slumping had almost doubled in the last 30 to 40 years. In the new research paper, the NWTGS mapped the distribution of the thaw slumps using satellite images and other data, as well as studying the ice edge of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS), a huge expanse of ice that covered two-thirds of North America during the last Ice Age. Thaw slump distribution and glaciated terrain - A: Slump-affected terrain in northwestern Canada and positions of the Laurentide Ice Sheet from ca. 18–11 ka. NWT Geological Survey People may be surprised to know that there is abundant ground ice along these margins of the LIS, still preserved in the permafrost. But what is particularly interesting is that the researchers found that the In all, nearly a half-million square miles (1,294,994 square kilometers) in northwest Canada were analyzed. The scientists found that permafrost decay is affecting 52,000 square miles (134,679 square kilometers) of that vast stretch of Earth - an area about the size of the state of Alabama, reports What are the effects of thaw slumping? Basically, climate change is driving the thawing of the Arctic's permafrost. We have already seen the changes that have been occurring over a number of years, the lake collapsing in 2015 to melting glaciers in Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland. Then we have those Warming permafrost softens coastlines, making it more vulnerable to wave action and promoting erosion along the Arctic coast of Alaska. A large block of ice-rich permafrost has detached from the mainland and will quickly disintegrate (photo: Christopher Arp). United Nations Environment Programme Besides the release of all that stored carbon and methane, thaw slumps also alter the landscape, often to a great degree. With permafrost collapse intensifying, all that mud and silt is running into rivers and streams, heightening the possibility of life being choked out downstream. And this pattern can continue all the way to a river's mouth when it reaches the ocean. Kokelj, who is also the lead scientist on the mapping project, said, "Things have really taken off. Climate warming is now making that happen. It's exactly what we should expect with climate change." He also is quick to point out, "And the maps that we produced clearly indicated it's not just a random pattern. We're sort of connecting dots here for the scientific community." A study published in February 2017, in the journal Geology, titled "Climate-driven thaw of permafrost-preserved glacial landscapes, northwestern Canada," describes the research efforts and findings made by scientists with the Northwest Territories Geological Survey in assessing the increasing intensity of permafrost collapse in the Arctic regions of Canada.Many readers may remember the July 2015 collapse of a small, unnamed lake in the NWT, documented with a remote camera that showed it falling off a cliff and breaking through a melting earthen rampart.Thawing permafrost has already caused noticeable changes in the landscape in some Arctic regions and scientists have been tracking temperature changes and thawing of the permafrost for years. When permafrost thaws, large thaw slumps develop, some of them impacting over 30 hectares (74 acres) in area. This can dramatically alter slopes and impact downstream environments.In 2015, Steve Kokelj of the NWT Geological Survey told the Canadian Press the thaw slumps were getting bigger and more numerous with the increase in temperatures and rainfall. At that time, Kokelj estimated the land affected by slumping had almost doubled in the last 30 to 40 years.In the new research paper, the NWTGS mapped the distribution of the thaw slumps using satellite images and other data, as well as studying the ice edge of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS), a huge expanse of ice that covered two-thirds of North America during the last Ice Age.People may be surprised to know that there is abundant ground ice along these margins of the LIS, still preserved in the permafrost. But what is particularly interesting is that the researchers found that the areas of high thaw slump density mainly coincided with the margins of the LIS.In all, nearly a half-million square miles (1,294,994 square kilometers) in northwest Canada were analyzed. The scientists found that permafrost decay is affecting 52,000 square miles (134,679 square kilometers) of that vast stretch of Earth - an area about the size of the state of Alabama, reports Inside Climate News Basically, climate change is driving the thawing of the Arctic's permafrost. We have already seen the changes that have been occurring over a number of years, the lake collapsing in 2015 to melting glaciers in Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Iceland. Then we have those strange craters that have been mysteriously appearing in Russia's Arctic north. But the major reason for all these happenings is our warming climate.Besides the release of all that stored carbon and methane, thaw slumps also alter the landscape, often to a great degree. With permafrost collapse intensifying, all that mud and silt is running into rivers and streams, heightening the possibility of life being choked out downstream. And this pattern can continue all the way to a river's mouth when it reaches the ocean.Kokelj, who is also the lead scientist on the mapping project, said, "Things have really taken off. Climate warming is now making that happen. It's exactly what we should expect with climate change." He also is quick to point out, "And the maps that we produced clearly indicated it's not just a random pattern. We're sort of connecting dots here for the scientific community." 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