expanding lakes can be a sign of degenerating permafrost. However, there is also just the opposite effect: when a lake is crossed by a river, or thaws all of the permafrost below it, it drains; in these cases, [...] The signs of change Satellite imagery provides many indications that the permafrost soils of the Arctic are now thawing The map was still full of blank spots. Polar researchers have known for some time [...] journal Nature Communications. Dr Ingmar Nitze E-Mail Prof Dr Guido Grosse E-Mail Lakes in arctic permafrost regions (Photo: Alfred-Wegener-Institut) How is climate change affecting the soils of the Arctic