The government supported the draft law prepared by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources on permafrost monitoring

The government supported the draft law prepared by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources on permafrost monitoring. Now the document will be submitted to the State Duma for consideration by deputies, the ministry said on its website.

“The Arctic has a huge impact on the global climate. It is important for us to understand and predict the ongoing processes here. And for this, a reliable basis is needed - accurate scientific data and forecasts, ”said Alexander Kozlov, head of the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, whose words are quoted in the message.

An integrated permafrost monitoring system is being created in Russia for the first time. Based on the data obtained, scientists will predict the consequences and learn how to prevent accidents in the permafrost. It is planned that the system will be created in 3 years (from 2023 to 2025).

According to Kozlov, background monitoring will appear on the basis of the observational network of Roshydromet. Specialists of the Arctic Research Institute have already begun to create the first facilities.

“Experimental training grounds were made at Cape Baranova and the Svalbard archipelago. They drilled 25-meter wells, installed thermometric streamers in them, data from which, via satellite channels, are continuously transmitted to the institute. In the future, they will measure not only the temperature at different depths, but also the dynamics of icing and the deformation of the earth's surface. There will be 140 such stations-wells in the monitoring network,” said Alexander Kozlov.

Data on the degradation of permafrost soils, which will be obtained thanks to the new system, will become the basis for developing adaptation measures for economic and social sectors.

“The Arctic zone of Russia is six million square kilometers, hundreds of cities and villages, almost three million people. Of course, people should feel safe living on permafrost,” Kozlov stressed.