永久冻土逐渐消融影响俄罗斯多个城市
Towns and cities across the east of Vladimir Putin's vast empire could 'collapse' in the coming decades because of thawing permafrost.
随着永久冻土的逐渐消融，弗拉基米尔·普京手中巨大帝国的东部城镇在未来几十年间可能会轰然倒塌。
Ground that was once solid is crumbling due to climate change, and the impact for buildings across Arctic and Siberian regions will be 'devastating' by 2050, says a new US-Russian report.
Problems are expected even sooner in Anadyr, the capital of the extreme eastern region on Chukotka, where Chelsea tycoon Roman Abramovich once served as governor.
Here problems can be expected by the mid-2020s, as they can in Salekhard, a town which straddles the Arctic Circle, gateway Russia's large gas supplies on the Yamal peninsula.
At risk too from a stark weakening of the 'bearing capacity' of the ground are Russia's diamond capital Yakutsk and nickel mining city Norilsk.
The thaw has major implications for Russia since as much as 63 percent of Russian territory is underpinned by permafrost.
It is already hitting buildings in northern regions, making them unsafe, and has caused railway lines to become crooked, rendering them useless, reported The Siberian Times.
The analysis says a worst-case scenario could lead to a 75-95 percent 'reduction in bearing capacity throughout the permafrost region by 2050'.
The authors conclude: 'This can have a devastating effect on cities built on permafrost.'