Scientists at Université Laval in Quebec have been tracking the movement of permafrost in the area and have found it’s receding at an alarming rate.
Aerial photos of the James Bay region between the 51st and 53rd parallels taken in 1957 were compared to those taken in 2004 and 2005. The photos showed the permafrost line (recognizable by distinct oval-shaped land elevations that form over permafrost) had retreated 80 miles and was deteriorating as far north as the 55th parallel.
The James Bay area makes up the southernmost part of Hudson Bay. Warming temperatures — a rise of as much as 3 to 4 degrees in recent decades — are causing tundra disappearance in the area as well.
via Yale e360