Photo by Nikolai Kozakov
Thin Ice
The Changing Climate of Sakha Republic
“A letter arrived from a friend in Yakutsk, saying it’s very warm, only minus 5 degrees. No snow has fallen,” it read. I asked other Yakut friends if they remember such warmth at the end of October. They all answered in unison, “No.” Last year at this time, it was minus 20 degrees. All regions, including Yakutsk, have become warmer. The same is true even in the inland areas covered with permafrost.
The onset of the first cold was normal. Frost arrived in September, but by early October, temperatures rose. Puddles spread everywhere, and snow almost disappeared. Unprecedented thawing occurred in the Sakha Republic. Then frost returned, followed by even warmer weather. In the past, when winter arrived, it held firm, and the first thaw didn’t happen until March. Nevertheless, the Yakut language has no word for “thaw,” nor do neighboring Even, Evenki, or Yukaghir languages. In some parts of the Sakha Republic, including the Yakut Republic, which is ten times the size of Poland, daytime temperatures at the end of October have risen to 3 degrees Celsius.
Even traditional activities like ice fishing now take place on thin ice without snow in many villages. Ice fishing is one of the most important early winter events in the Sakha Republic, leaving wonderful snowy impressions in children’s memories. Similar scenes unfold everywhere. Villagers gather on frozen lakes, drill holes in the ice, and set up nets. There are even playful pranks like sneaking baby fish into someone’s shirt. However, this year people had to be cautious. In some lakes, cows fell through the ice where they usually drink water.
The combination of warm days and cold nights led to unusually thick fog. On October 22nd, law enforcement advised people to avoid travel. About 20 flights were canceled, and ferry services on the Lena River were suspended (there are no bridges). Meteorologists emphasize that this is abnormal. The famous fog I described in my book “Yakutsk” usually occurs in December and January.
However, scientists and experts are more concerned about something other than puddles, fog, or cows under the ice. It’s what happened 50 years ago, 650 kilometers northeast of Yakutsk, where vast taiga forests were logged. As a result, the Earth’s permafrost was exposed to sunlight. Ten years later, the sun created massive cracks in the ground along the timber transport route. These holes dramatically expanded over decades and continue to do so. Currently, the Batagaika Crater is one kilometer long, up to 600 meters wide, and 100 meters deep, containing remains of mammoths. Occasionally, bones of extinct cave lions like bison and Panthera spelaea are also found. While there are other giant craters like Batagaika, none are as large. Some of these craters have become part of Yakutia’s landscape, but even non-scientists can recognize that Batagaika is a harbinger of possible future events in Yakutia, western Siberia, and Canada’s permafrost.
Scientists point out the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Simultaneously, vast amounts of organic matter flow into the Arctic Ocean from thawed ground, altering its chemical composition. These impacts could have irreversible consequences on climate. “But we always have thawing here,” the Yakut people respond in internet discussions. They mention how their ancestors drained such lakes, turning them into fertile pastures called “Arashis” (a place depicted in Yakut culture as full of happiness and joy, with healthy children, cows, and horses). Arashis was associated with kettle lakes. However, this time, instead of lakes forming, giant holes that grow larger each year are being created.
