A high temperature 48°C appeared in the Arctic Circle. As soon as the news came out, how many people were wondering if their eyes were wrong? Or the report is wrong?
The North Pole, which is the northernmost point of the earth and the coldest place on the earth. In summer in the northern hemisphere, the temperature in our mid-latitudes is not so high. Sansha, the southernmost city in China, has a north latitude of 16.8393 degrees and an average temperature of more than 30 degrees. There is a high temperature of 48 ℃ in the Arctic Circle?
This is not the first time this extreme temperature has occurred in the Arctic Circle, but it has been exceptionally frequent this year.
Just this year, 's weather station at the northernmost tip of Finland in the Arctic Circle recorded a rare high temperature of 29.3°C. A small town called Govorovo, in June of this year, measured the surface temperature of over 43℃.
On June 20, 2020, in the remote town of Verkhoyansk in the north of Russia, the temperature reached 38°C, The average temperature of this town in July is 19.9°C .
On June 20 this year, in this small town, the local residents detected the surface temperature as high as 48℃ . this day,The weather station also detected that the surface temperature in various regions of Siberia generally exceeded 35°C.
It should be noted that this 48℃ high temperature is not the local temperature, but the surface temperature. The surface temperature is higher than the air temperature, so local residents will feel that this summer is a bit hotter than previous years, but it is not as hot as in low-latitude areas.
But the feeling of the frozen soil layer is very obvious. They are directly affected by the surface temperature.
Frozen soil melting
The frozen soil layer in the Arctic Circle is basically permafrost, which means that the surface and underground temperatures have been below 0℃ for thousands of years or even tens of thousands of years. However, in recent years, there have been frequent news of the melting of the Arctic permafrost.
What is the permafrost in the Arctic Circle? Covered with white snow, like a layer of ice, this is the world of ice and snow, just like this:
Arctic permafrost
However, this year, such a scene appeared in the Arctic Circle:
The vegetation is reviving, the flowers are blooming, and the scenery is beautiful, but for the Arctic, this is a disaster.
After the news that the surface temperature of the Arctic Circle reached 48°C, news came one after another: Flowers bloomed in the Arctic Circle, frozen soil collapsed, three consecutive thunderstorms occurred within a week in the Arctic, polar bears was hungry and skinny, Russia’s Arctic infrastructure collapsed, remains of prehistoric creatures were discovered, viruses and bacteria in frozen soil may be resurrected...
These news,Both are the chain reaction after the rare high temperature in the Arctic Circle.
This summer, the high temperature in the Arctic Circle is a common phenomenon, not just those small towns.
High temperature will cause the melting of the ice in the Arctic region, and bear the brunt of the survival of species in the Arctic region , polar bears and some marine life will become difficult to prey. After , sea levels will rise, coastal cities will definitely be affected, and some small islands will be submerged.
Then we are now facing the permafrost melting , the ground is no longer covered by snow and ice, vegetation recovers, the refraction of the sun is reduced, and the absorption of sunlight is enhanced. will further promote this The increase in local temperature has exacerbated global warming.
The permafrost has melted. In Russia, the United States, Canada and other countries, especially Russia, a large number of infrastructures have been destroyed and will face huge economic losses . These effects are still regional, but another serious matter will affect all mankind.
Because the frozen soil has melted, people have repeatedly found the remains of prehistoric creatures in the frozen soil. Because of being frozen for a long time, these prehistoric creatures are very intact, bones, soft tissues and even hairs are vivid.
May 2007 found a 41,800-year-old mammoth in the Yamal Peninsula of the Russian Arctic,Even the skin and internal organs are very well preserved.
In 2011 , the Yukagir tribe in northern Siberia discovered the complete remains of a bison .
March 2015 , the tundra melted, The remains of a hairy rhino were exposed to the surface , this is hairy rhino , which was extinct 10,000 years ago.
September 2017 , a cave lion 30,000 years ago was found in East Siberia. It was only a week old when it died. .
August 2018 , the remains of a foal 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, , were found in Siberia, which was also exposed to the surface due to the melting of frozen soil.
September 2020 , a cave bear , which has been frozen for 30,000 years, was found in Siberia. The nose, teeth, internal organs and bones are intact and lifelike.It seems that it might come alive at any time.
It is normal to find prehistoric organisms in the permafrost, and biologists will actively seek to build a prehistoric ecology. However, active search and passive acceptance are not a concept . Many of the prehistoric creatures discovered over the years were discovered by because the remains of the frozen ground were exposed to the surface.
And more terrifying in comparison is that in June 2018, Russian scientists discovered that the nematode , which had been frozen for 40,000 years in the frozen soil, was revived after thawing.
Prehistoric creatures that have been frozen for 40,000 years in the permafrost can be resurrected. The resurrection of heralds that more ancient viruses and bacteria may also resurrect as the frozen ground melts.
We have to admit that in the face of extreme environments, the survival ability of some simple organisms, bacteria, and viruses is much stronger than that of more advanced mammals. In 1999, a scientific expedition team discovered a virus, , under the Antarctic continent permafrost. So far, no animal on the earth, including humans, is resistant to this virus.
In 2016, anthracnose recurred in the Arctic Circle. The source was a reindeer who died of anthracnose 75 years ago after the permafrost melted and exposed the ground.Many people were infected and thousands of reindeer died . And those reindeer still carry anthrax virus frozen in frozen soil.
If the ancient virus resurrected with the melting of the frozen soil, it would cause unimaginable damage to the existing animals, plants and humans on the earth.
And the Arctic environment is closely related to the Antarctic environment. Now in the northern hemisphere summer, the frozen soil of the Arctic melts and collapses. After the time enters the southern hemisphere, will the Antarctic experience the same thing?
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