Well, the things you find out.
There are about 11,000 pingos in the world: ice domes, basically, which can form only where there is permafrost.
Canada has about 1/4 of them, and a special park to protect some of them near Tuktoyaktuk – Pingo National Landmark.
There is evidence of a Pleistocene pingo near Moscow.
Here’s some evidence of one near Tuktoyaktuk.
If the Arctic keeps warming, what happens to ice domes?
Jim T
Jim – I don’t know (this is getting to be a long list, the things I don’t know). But pingos seems to be a function of permafrost, so if that goes, so do they, I’m guessing.
Isabel
You’ve given me my new knowledge of the week. I had not formerly heard…at least as I can recall…the word “pingo.”
Thanks!
Tom
Tom – You’re welcome! We like to think of ourselves as a northern people, but most of us are anything but.
I would have guessed a pingo to be a bird: somewhat like a penguin, but smaller and more bird-like, and able to fly.
I learned something today.
Marion – Well, “pinguino” is the Spanish word for penguin, so that’s not a bad guess. I find it amusing the things we take for granted and just figure are everyday knowledge – what we know varies a lot!