Retrogressive thaw slumps
Okay kiddo, so you know how when it's really cold outside, everything freezes and turns into ice, right? Well, sometimes when it starts getting warmer, not everything thaws at the same time.
In some places, there's a type of land that's made up of ice and dirt and rocks all mixed together. We call this permafrost. When the top layer of the permafrost starts to thaw, the ice inside starts to melt too.
Now, because the ice is melted and the dirt and rocks on top are still frozen, the ground becomes really unstable. It can start to slide or slump down, almost like a big mudslide. That's a retrogressive thaw slump!
These slumps can cause a lot of damage to the land and trees around them. They can also affect animals and people who live nearby. Scientists are studying retrogressive thaw slumps to try to understand more about how the Earth's climate is changing.
In some places, there's a type of land that's made up of ice and dirt and rocks all mixed together. We call this permafrost. When the top layer of the permafrost starts to thaw, the ice inside starts to melt too.
Now, because the ice is melted and the dirt and rocks on top are still frozen, the ground becomes really unstable. It can start to slide or slump down, almost like a big mudslide. That's a retrogressive thaw slump!
These slumps can cause a lot of damage to the land and trees around them. They can also affect animals and people who live nearby. Scientists are studying retrogressive thaw slumps to try to understand more about how the Earth's climate is changing.