NOVA | Arctic Sinkholes | A Ticking Time Bomb (2022)
In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.
2022-02-02 19:00:00 - Nova PBS
Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas.
Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic?
Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future.
00:00 | Introduction
02:22 | Giant Sinkhole in Siberia
05:54 | Evidence of Methane in Craters
09:02 | Alaskan Lake Bubbling
14:47 | Effects of Permafrost Thaw on Climate
17:26 | Native Alaskan Solutions to Permafrost
21:37 | Organic Matter Impacted by Permafrost
24:44 | Greenhouse Gasses Emitted from Permafrost Thaw
33:37 | Fossil Methane in Earth’s Crust
42:19 | Tipping Point: Arctic Regions are Sinking
47:47 | How Communities are Finding Solutions
50:15 | Conclusion