~~~~~Permafrost is ground that is frozen year-round. In the Arctic, ice-rich permafrost soils can be up to 260 feet (80 meters) thick. Due to human-caused warming of the atmosphere from greenhouse gas emissions, a gradual thawing of the permafrost is currently taking place where the upper layer of seasonally thawed soil is gradually getting thicker and reaching deeper into the ground. This process wakes up microbes in the soil that decompose soil organic matter and as a result release carbon dioxide and methane back into the atmosphere. This gradual thaw process is accounted for in climate models and is thought to have minimal effect as thawed ground also stimulates the growth of plants, which counterbalance the carbon released into the atmosphere by consuming it during photosynthesis.
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2785/unexpected-future-boost-of-methane-possible-from-arctic-permafrost
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-ice-sheets-tons-methane-atmosphere.html
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/greenland-has-yet-another-methane-leak
~~~~~Long-dormant bacteria and viruses, trapped in ice and permafrost for centuries, are reviving as Earth's climate warms. Throughout history, humans have existed side-by-side with bacteria and viruses. From the bubonic plague to smallpox, we have evolved to resist them, and in response they have developed new ways of infecting us.
We have had antibiotics for almost a century, ever since Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. In response, bacteria have responded by evolving antibiotic resistance. The battle is endless: because we spend so much time with pathogens, we sometimes develop a kind of natural stalemate.
However, what would happen if we were suddenly exposed to deadly bacteria and viruses that have been absent for thousands of years, or that we have never met before?
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170504-there-are-diseases-hidden-in-ice-and-they-are-waking-up
Warmer waters are bad anyway. With warmer temps comes more dangers!
And they are getting warm.
~~~~~Heatwaves sweeping oceans ‘like wildfires’, scientists reveal
The number of heatwaves affecting the planet’s oceans has increased sharply, scientists have revealed, killing swathes of sea-life like “wildfires that take out huge areas of forest”.
The damage caused in these hotspots is also harmful for humanity, which relies on the oceans for oxygen, food, storm protection and the removal of climate-warming carbon dioxide the atmosphere, they say.
Global warming is gradually increasing the average temperature of the oceans, but the new research is the first systematic global analysis of ocean heatwaves, when temperatures reach extremes for five days or more.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/04/heatwaves-sweeping-oceans-like-wildfires-scientists-reveal
~~~~~Where Are Brain-Eating Amoebas Found?
Naegleria loves very warm water. It can survive in water as hot as 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
These amoebas can be found in warm places around the globe. N. fowleri is found in:
Warm lakes, ponds, and rock pits
Mud puddles
Warm, slow-flowing rivers, especially those with low water levels
Untreated swimming pools and spas
Untreated well water or untreated municipal water
Hot springs and other geothermal water sources
Thermally polluted water, such as runoff from power plants
Aquariums
Soil, including indoor dust
https://www.webmd.com/brain/brain-eating-amoeba
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/sdut-amoeba-brain-infection-2015aug21-story.html
