5 ms·
No mention of permafrost? Yes, the _air_ will be more habitable, but if the _ground_ is a boggy mess, you’re not going to be doing much with this newly habitabl
by epall 5y ago
No mention of permafrost? Yes, the _air_ will be more habitable, but if the _ground_ is a boggy mess, you’re not going to be doing much with this newly habitable land.
- searchableguy 5y agoIs there a way to detect permafrost and remove it using available tech?
- ceejayoz 5y ago11% of the planet's surface has permafrost. Good luck.
- JulianMorrison 5y agoDetect it: poke a stick. It stops, at a pretty consistent depth, and not because of rock. Remove it: overheat the planet. It will turn to mud. Anything built on it will subside or sink. Massive amounts of trapped organic matter will turn to methane. Eventually, I presume the area would settle into a new climatic zone, with neither permafrost nor mud. Emphasis on "eventually".
- KyeRussell 5y agoThank you for reminding me that I’m on Hacker News.
- saalweachter 5y agoThere were also no occurrences of the words "sun", "light", or "insolation". The further away from the equator you go, the more your sunlight becomes a fickle seasonal creature hitting you at odd angles in varying intensity. Temperature isn't the only variable affecting the growing season and agricultural productivity.