The northern hemisphere is covered by nine million square miles of permafrost, ground that continuously remains frozen for two or more years, located on land or under the ocean. In this recording, you will learn from preeminent scientist Dr. Kimberley R. Miner about the cascading impacts of permafrost melt in the Arctic and beyond the circumpolar north. Permafrost is one of the largest greenhouse gas stores on the planet. As climate change warms the Arctic at nearly three times the rate of the global average, permafrost is beginning to thaw, causing a cascade of risks to people, places, and our shared planet. When the organic material begins to decompose, permafrost thaw can destabilize major infrastructure, discharge mercury levels dangerous to human health, and release billions of metric tons of carbon.