Exploding permafrost??

Tags

methane hydrates, permafrost, pingos, Russian natural gas

By The Siberian Times has  reported that  7,000 underground methane gas bubbles are ready to blow!  An article a week ago documented for the first time 2017 mounds located on the  Yamal and Gydan peninsulas that are thought to have been caused by thawing permafrost – that then is releasing methane. Both on foot field expeditions as well as satellite imagery have been used.  These land forms are noted by Russian scientist as ‘funnels’ that at one time were pingos (permafrost caused depressions).  

No one has yet been reported as harmed by these exploding ice thaws, yet they could potentially be an energy source for the area if correctly captured with the gas adequately distributed.  (More importantly, they are being studied to try and avoid damage to infrastructure and transportation of energy resources that are being extracted in the region).  A nickname (in Russian) for the terrestrial explosions has been “Trembling Tundra” (though no seismic activity has been connected with them).

The ice, dirt, and soil can be mixed with the gases with a core of methane hydrates.  This fluid mixture of cooled gases into crystal forms is stable as long as it is kept cooled yet if not properly extracted the immense pressure and flammability can be explosive. University of Alaska Fairbanks Professor Vladimir  Romanovsky suspects that the bubbles may have appeared before but not been reported. It is also possible they were much less frequent and have accelerated in numbers the last few years that the permafrost has been warming up. We will have to wait and see how stable these items are to study in the future.
 

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Melting soils and foundations

Tags

foundation, permafrost, Radon.

Whether from cow methane, oil burning factories or some of both, there is no doubt that our annual mean temperatures over the last century have been on an upward trend in the Interior. While effects of warmer seasonal weather are hitting the higher latitudes with more fervor, there is the advantage of discontinuous permafrost moving out of arable and accessible building sites.  The upshot is that in the Interior of the state building sites may well open up for full foundations (cement slab or footers in crawlspaces) where in the past pad and post was the only sure way to go.

Given the scattered Uranium throughout the state, it will be all the more important for contractors to utilize radon resistant construction so that from the git-go there is not only protective vapor barrier secured on the ground but also semi permeable membrane material such as Bituthene adhered to any pony walls before back filling soils.   This is because radon is a pervasive  gas (although wimpy) and with frozen soils melting and ice lenses migrating there will be new open paths for gasses to reach the foundation of many homes. Take a look at this  YouTube channel and watch the 4 minute film (while sharing the more detailed 12 minute piece for your contractor who’ll build for you): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwz4yPgv3XA&t=7s & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EOt-iyk5MA.

We don’t know currently how the sink holes and melting permafrost will effect radon distribution by and large in areas as there has not been an operating home built yet in this marginal land which allows for the variations of concentrations from home ventilation systems.  (The other thing we do not know is how garden  or crop plants will react to the non-decayed organic method which will release methane as lands are ‘opened up’).  Remember, no matter where you are currently living, the only way  you’ll know if you have a radioactive radon problem, is to test- which for $25 or so is not such an weighty matter when considering the cost of detection, treatment and care of lung cancer!

 

 

Permafrost survey in the Gold Stream Valley

Tags

climate change, permafrost, Surveying

With all of the strange weather patterns the last few years, some people are wondering how stable their ground and foundations will be in years to come.  Stories last summer of sink holes developing in the Goldstream Valley and knowledge of thawing permafrost are realities that can have an effect on homes, out buildings, driveways, etc…

Next Wednesday (2/17) there will be a meeting at 7pm in the Ken Kunkel Community Center, 2645 Goldstream Road, Fairbanks (adjacent to the Goldstream General Store).  The gathering is for residents to learn about an upcoming month long survey project to map permafrost distribution in the Goldstream Valley watershed (from DNR-Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys and the University of Alaska Fairbanks).

At the meeting they will share about the  RESOLVE airborne electromagnetic collection system, which  is designed to map the spatial distribution of data points of the electrical resistivity of the valley and will be used to help interpret where the ground is frozen or where it is not.This system is a low power system that does not have health risks or hurt communication devices.(Data gathering  helicopters will not fly directly over houses.)  The final 3D map of permafrost distribution will be looked at for understanding the area’s  groundwater/surface flow and to study the effects of  climate change on permafrost as it is assumed that trapped greenhouse gasses in and underneath permafrost will be released when permafrost thaws. What do you think the correlation between climate warming and greenhouse gas from (discontinuous, or intermittent) permafrost will be?  I don’t know either and look forward to hear from the investigators what they find in Goldstream!

Getting in the door….

Tags

arctic engry, permafrost, ramp, wheelchair

Often Alaskan homes built on permafrost are built on pad and post foundations, which usually puts their entry way into the home about 3 feet off the ground.  With those needing ramps, American Disabilities Act states for every one inch height there would be one foot run.  This means that a basic ramp for a walker, wheelchair or scooter will need 36 feet of spread on a lawn to get to the front door; this can be accomplished by putting together several 180 degree turns with 6′ by 6′ landings at each.  Depending on whether the door is on the side of the house or in the middle of the front side, you may be able to ‘wrap a ramp’ around the side of your home (relative to where your lot line easement is in relation to the home).  Like a pad and post foundation, you can also have a platform cut of plywood (18″ by 18″) under each 4″ by 4″ post vertical post as a ‘floating’ pad.  Forming  a “H” shape with two vertical posts, a horizontal 4″ can then be made at graduated heights to place deck pieces in between  the two verticals. For more information on such designs, give Art a call at 474-6366 and I’ll see what we can do to help!