Widespread Permafrost Degradation: Updates from Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost

Permafrost degradation can lead to release of large quantities of organic material affecting the global climate system; affect local and regional hydrology through redistribution and storage of ground water, affect vegetation and animal migration patterns; endanger heath, food security and overall well-being of populations that depend on permafrost ecosystems; affect transportation and accessibility of remote communities; decrease slope stability and threaten infrastructure built on permafrost. These profound implications to local societies, regional economies, and global climate system make permafrost monitoring essential in order to add to the global climate assessments, contribute to validation of earth system models, and assist in development of land use and adaptation strategies to minimize negative effects of permafrost degradation. The Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P) is the primary international program coordinating long-term monitoring of permafrost in order to provide consistent, representative and high-quality long-term data series to assess the state and changes of permafrost over time. The network brings together individuals from more than 25 countries that conduct permafrost monitoring with some sites have data-series for more than 30 years (https://gtnp.arcticportal.org/). Presently GTN-P provides open access data to permafrost temperature (PT) and active layer thickness (ALT), and in the future plans to integrate thaw subsidence and rock glacier velocity. The data are available through the data management system at http://gtnpdatabase.org/. This presentation showcase the recent network developments, such as integration of permafrost observations within climate observing systems and development of monitoring guidelines. It also presents results of long-term-monitoring of PT and ALT in Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine regions that confirm widespread permafrost degradation. The results highlight the urgent need to develop long-term intragovernmental strategy to support coordinated efforts in permafrost monitoring, data acquisition, harmonization, which will guarantee free access and exchange among all stakeholders from local communities to governmental institutions concerned with permafrost degradation worldwide.