Terrifying Photos That Demonstrate The Effects of Climate Change

Siberia: Now

Due to global warming, sinkholes are popping up all across the Siberian frontier. This is due to the unusually warm conditions which are melting the exposed layers of glacial ice that had not been seen for over 200,000 years, causing the land to buckle up and fall into itself. This occurs when the permafrost rapidly thaws, causing scar zones in the crust of the earth that will only continue to grow. Another issue caused by the thawing of the permafrost is the potential release of deadly pathogens in the permafrost, such as anthrax. In 2016, there was an outbreak of anthrax through herds of Siberian reindeer after a 75-year-old carcass had thawed. Now with these sinkholes, we are finding more and older remains from animals that are just beginning to thaw, so there is no telling what kind of pathogens may be released.