The Arctic's Toxic Awakening

//Image is of 66°11'01.8"N 139°06'36.8"W (in the Yukon) As the earth warms, permafrost is thawing in the arctic and allowing groundwater to permeate deeper than before. When the permafrost thaws, it releases previously trapped iron sulfides that the groundwater picks up. The water carries the sulfides to streams and springs, contacting oxygen along the way which converts it into sulfuric acid and iron. This turns streams highly acidic. As the acidic stream flows, the increased erosion mobilizes other heavy metals like arsenic and mercury making the streams toxic and orange.

//GeologyHub on YouTube did a great video about this

Fish will die. Aquatic insects will die. Birds and mammals that drink from these streams will be poisoned. Entire ecosystems will be disrupted. Groundwater that would normally be safe to drink may become toxic. Communities that rely on these water sources and ecosystems will be at risk.

//Cue the catastrophic cascading cycle As Earth continues to warm (the arctic at a much faster pace than the rest) more permafrost will thaw and more fresh water will become contaminated. But when permafrost thaws, it releases more than just iron sulfides. It also releases ancient organic carbon that microbes break down into methane and CO2. This creates a feedback loop where warming causes more permafrost to thaw, releasing more greenhouse gases which causes more warming.

December 2025:
NPR recently did a story on this Orange rivers and melting glaciers: federal report shows rapid change in the Arctic