Large image view: Greening of the Arctic
Ruts and degrading permafrost which resulted from off-road vehicle traffic is clearly visible at a petroleum seismic survey site near Loborovaya on the Yamal Peninsula. In North America, similar activities which affect the terrain have been effectively banned since the 1970s. A similar ban in Russia is virtually ignored and the laws are unenforced. The resulting damages are cited by both local people and scientists as regionally significant.
Photo by Bruce C. Forbes/University of Lapland