Rivers Are Driving a Hidden Permafrost Meltdown, with Thaw Progressing 15% Faster than Expected

Rivers are driving a hidden permafrost meltdown, with thaw progressing 15% faster than expected

Thawing permafrost buried underneath rivers may be accelerating permafrost degradation faster than previously estimated in these inundated regions, according to new research shared at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting.

Seismic Sensing Reveals Rapid Permafrost Thaw Under Rivers | Seismological Society of America

17 April 2026—Thawing permafrost buried underneath rivers may be accelerating permafrost degradation faster than previously estimated in these inundated regions, according to new research shared at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting. Haoyuan Sun of Zhejiang University and colleagues used distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) on an existing telecommunications cable to develop a uniquely detailed look at the permafrost dynamics in river channels on the Qing…