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PERMAFROST INSTITUTE Located on the outskirts of Yakutsk, the Permafrost Institute houses an underground laboratory twelve meters beneath its surface [video]. Teeth chattering, we walked down an ice-covered ladder and entered what felt like a large cave. The lab's walls are made of sand, as this was once the riverbed of the nearby Lena River. Tufts of dried-out moss poked out here and there; permafrost specialist Mike Shats said the stuff was over 10,000 years old. He also said that the plant life was "sleeping" -- in a state of suspended animation -- and could potentially revive if warmed under the right conditions. We were skeptical. |
