DOI: 10.1029/2026av002822 ISSN: 2576-604X
Permafrost‐Thaw Driven Acid‐Rock Drainage Threatens Arctic Aquatic Ecosystems
E. K. Skierszkan Plain Language Summary
A new study in this issue of
AGU Advances
(Evinger et al., 2026,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2026AV002407
) documents abrupt onset of acid‐rock drainage from thawing permafrost in Alaska's Brooks Range. Similar findings emerged from a publication in
Science
earlier this year (Skierszkan et al., 2026a,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aea2898
). This
Viewpoint
provides a broader regional context of the phenomenon, highlighting widespread acid‐rock drainage within northwestern North America's permafrost zone. Acid‐rock drainage is accelerating release of metals and acidity at toxic concentrations in thousands of seepages in regions undergoing permafrost thaw. As such, it may be of the most consequential recently recognized environmental hazards caused by cryosphere loss. This widespread outcome of global warming presents a major risk to water resources and aquatic ecosystems.