About this episode

The episode explores the implications of thawing Arctic permafrost and its impact on climate change through the phenomenon of sinkholes and methane lakes.

What happens when the Arctic’s ancient freezer starts to fail? Scientists have uncovered the truth behind giant sinkholes exploding from the frozen ground in Siberia, and a vast lake bubbling with methane in Alaska .They are pointing to a dramatic shift beneath our feet – one driven by thawing Arctic permafrost, the vast frozen layer that stores nearly twice as much carbon as the entire atmosphere. Learn why these geological curiosities reveal a dangerous climate wildcard – one powerful enough to accelerate global warming in ways current models don’t yet predict. To watch the full film, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/arctic-sinkholes/ Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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