Secrets revealed under the 'eternal time bomb' in Siberia

Mummies, mammoth tusks, giant viruses are among the artifacts that could be uncovered if Siberia's permafrost melts.

Permafrost in Siberia. Photo: Siberian Times.

The Siberian permafrost acts as a natural refrigerator, preserving everything buried inside for hundreds of thousands of years, according to Wired. But global warming is causing this refrigerator to go into defrost mode. "Permafrost is a time bomb," said Robert Spencer, an environmental scientist at the University of Florida. As it thaws, the ice may reveal many things it has hidden for centuries.

Bacteria

Anthrax bacteria spread when infected reindeer carcasses were thawed. Illustration photo: Business Insider.

An anthrax outbreak in western Siberia 75 years ago killed many reindeer herds. In July this year, warmer weather thawed the decades-old frozen carcasses of some infected reindeer, spreading the anthrax that infected 23 people and killed one.

Carbon

Remains of plants and animals in the ice contain up to 1,500 billion tons of carbon. Photo: Instagram.

The remains of ancient grasses, fungi, and animals buried in the ice contain a total of 1,500 billion tons of carbon. Microbes and bacteria eat the thick layer, releasing carbon dioxide that warms the atmosphere. Warming in turn melts the ice. The carbon escaping from the permafrost repeats itself over and over again, a cycle.

Methane gas

Bacteria produce more methane as ice melts. Photo: Siberian Times.

In 2014, scientists began to notice large craters appearing along the Yamal Peninsula in Russia’s remote region. The most likely explanation is that the ground is getting warmer, causing the ice to melt, which in turn makes the ground wetter. Bacteria produce more methane gas, which causes explosions that cause the ground to collapse into craters.

Siberian royal family

A tattoo on the 2,500-year-old mummy of a Siberian princess. Photo: Siberian Times.

In 1993, a Russian researcher found the remarkably well-preserved 2,500-year-old body of an ancient princess covered in spiral tattoos, buried with figurines, spice jars, and six horses. Archaeologists believe that in life, the woman was of noble descent, unlike the bodies in ordinary burial sites.

Mammoth tusks

Mammoth tusks may emerge from the ground as the permafrost thaws. Photo: Phys.org.

Climate change causes the soil to erode rapidly, making ancient bones more easily exposed.

Virus

Giant ancient virus buried under Siberian ice. Illustration: BBC.

Over the past two years, French microbiologists have discovered two giant ancient viruses buried deep in the Siberian permafrost. These viruses can still infect other organisms, like amoebas. However, the researchers warn that there are far more terrifying viruses lurking in the thick ice.

According to VNE