RESEARCH PROJECT

The fate of mercury in thawing permafrost (Quickthaw)

KEY POINTS
  • Mercury
  • Permafrost
  • Land-atmosphere exchange
Updated: August 2026

Project overview

Project manager: Kevin Bishop

Participants

Project members:
Research groups:

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Global goals

  • 3. Good health and well-being

Short summary

Since the last ice age, mercury (Hg) has accumulated in permafrost. If just a fraction of this Hg held in permafrost is re-emitted to the atmosphere, it would become the world’s largest Hg pollution source. This project examines the fate of Hg in thawing permafrost near Abisko in the Swedish Arctic.

Tower with measurement instruments on a mire (photo) as a background for an illustration of Abisko as a part of the Arctic as well as different Hg forms in the thawing permafrost.
Figure from the project application showing among others the measurement towers.

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