New research from Alaska links patchier permafrost to faster hillslope erosion. Scientists analyzed sediment cores from 12 lakes near Toolik and Delta Junction, spanning the middle Holocene to today. In areas with discontinuous permafrost, hillslope erosion was 2 to 3 times more intense than in continuous permafrost zones. These findings point to a future where warming shifts more landscapes toward discontinuous permafrost, potentially accelerating erosion, mobilizing soil carbon, and complicating infrastructure planning. The study also highlights the need for more direct observations to improve landscape evolution models used in Arctic climate projections.
