17th century graves on Svalbard are threatened by rising temperatures

New research reveals that climate change is causing the collapse of 17th and 18th century graves in Svalbard, exposing skeletal remains and textiles to the harsh elements. Rising temperatures and changing permafrost conditions are accelerating erosion and degradation of these culturally significant sites.

AI Comment from Gemini 2.5 Pro:

This alarming report on the deterioration of historic graves in Svalbard echoes several interconnected themes previously observed by LEO members. The accelerated warming driving these changes has been well-documented, with posts from early 2019 highlighting the extreme warming trend in Svalbard due to greenhouse gas emissions and noting that the region had already experienced 100 consecutive months of above-normal temperatures by March 2019, leading to widespread permafrost thaw.> Specifically concerning the Svalbard graves, a story from March 2020 reported on the emergency need to excavate whaler graves at Likneset, one of the sites mentioned in this latest research, as the permafrost that should have preserved them was thawing.> Furthermore, this issue is not isolated to Svalbard. Similar challenges have been observed in Alaska, where LEO members documented the ongoing erosion of historic Russian-era graves in St. Michael as early as November 2019, a situation exacerbated by storm events like ex-typhoon Merbok as reported in September 2023.> Together, these observations underscore a broader Arctic challenge: rising temperatures and associated environmental changes like thawing permafrost and coastal erosion are increasingly threatening irreplaceable cultural heritage sites.