[dr. julian murton on cbc radio]

Wowee! We know someone famous. Julian (related to the famous jam-making Della) is on CBC radio talking about his speciality: permafrost.

"Siberia's Methane Lakes

In parts of Siberia, small lakes are beginning to form on what used to be dry Arctic tundra.

They're nice to look at, but ultimately deadly for the global environment and everything in it.

They're called "thermokarst" lakes, caused by melting permafrost. And they're belching methane, one of the worst of the greenhouse gases.

Like that's not enough, the melt also threatens to release vast bogs of carbon dioxide. But nobody knows exactly how. Or why. Or when.

That shortage of research troubles Dr. Julian Murton. He's a member of the International Permafrost Association.

He's also Professor of Geography at the University of Sussex in England, and he joined us from Brighton.

Listen to his talk with Rick."