Scientists are using AI to track permafrost thaw as Arctic lakes vanish in hours

Fortune · The Conversation

Scientists are using AI to detect and monitor Arctic permafrost thaw by tracking changes in thermokarst ponds and lakes in near real time via an interactive map. The system maps over 4 million lakes across the Arctic, including 70 million thermokarst ponds in Alaska. Communities can now get up-to-date locations of ice-rich versus less-ice ground to guide building decisions as thaw accelerates.

Why it matters

A new near-real-time monitoring tool has identified 30 additional drained lakes in northwestern Alaska since June 2026.