Permafrost temperatures have increased in polar and high-elevation regions, affecting the
climate system and the integrity of natural and built environments. In this Review, we outline …

This article discusses the properties and occurrence of an active layer (AL) in the near-
surface of the lithosphere in glacial and periglacial environments. This layer shows a …

Climate change and associated Arctic amplification cause a degradation of permafrost
which in turn has major implications for the environment. The potential turnover of frozen …

Quickly identifying and characterizing isolates from extreme environments is currently
challenging while very important to explore the Earth′ s biodiversity. As these isolates may …

Peatlands store large amounts of carbon (C), a function potentially threatened by climate
change. Peatlands composed of vascular cushion plants are widespread in the northern and …

Studies of hyper‐arid sites contribute to our understanding on how life adapted to extreme
conditions. They are often used to further deduce implications for extraterrestrial biology by …

Tropical high‐mountain permafrost has a unique thermal regime due to its exposure to
strong solar radiation and to rough surface snow morphology, which reduce ground heat …

Microbial ecology of permafrost, due to its ecological and astrobiological importance, has
been in the focus of studies in past decades. Although permafrost is an ancient and stable …

Groundwater flow systems are influenced by the changes in surface waters as well as
climatic factors. These teleconnections significantly increase in cases of extreme weather …

Permafrost is degrading under current warming conditions, disrupting infrastructure,
releasing carbon from soils, and altering seasonal water availability. Therefore, it is …