Which slope instability risk increases significantly as permafrost thaws in subarctic regions?

💡 Explanation

When permafrost thaws, the active layer above becomes saturated and loses its shear strength, initiating solifluction because the soil mass slowly flows downslope. Therefore, solifluction increases, rather than creep decreases, rockfall decreases, or cohesion increases, which require frozen conditions or specific soil structures.

• Which risk increases when groundwater extraction destabilizes a region along an existing fault line?
• Which mechanism increases stream discharge during intense orographic precipitation events?
• Which mechanism limits the depth of wind-driven oceanic circulation?
• Which outcome accelerates coastal erosion when streams carrying sediment are dammed?
• Which outcome occurs when stress exceeds static friction along an existing transform fault?
• Which outcome occurs when a warming climate thaws discontinuous permafrost beneath an Arctic oil pipeline?