Rising temperatures in the Arctic are thawing the permafrost, a frozen layer of earth beneath the surface, and maybe reactivating viruses specifically, the zombie virus that have lain dormant for thousands of years and might be dangerous to both human and animal health.
Though the idea of a pandemic caused by a disease from the past seems like the storyline of a science fiction film, experts warn that the risks, albeit minimal, are not well understood. Thaws may also result in the release of Cold War-era chemical and radioactive waste that has the potential to harm species and disturb ecosystems.
“There’s a lot going on with the permafrost that is of concern, and (it) really shows why it’s super important that we keep as much of the permafrost frozen as possible,” said Kimberley Miner, a climate scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California.
A fifth of the Northern Hemisphere is covered in ermafrost, which has long supported the Arctic tundra and boreal forests of Alaska, Canada, and Russia. Together with ancient viruses, it acts as a kind of time capsule, preserving the mummified remains of several extinct creatures, including two cave lion cubs and a woolly rhino, that scientists have recently been able to find and examine.
Not only is permafrost cold, but it also lacks oxygen and is opaque to light, making it an ideal storage medium. Yet, the Arctic is currently warming up to four times faster than the rest of the world, which is undermining the region’s top layer of permafrost.
