# Arctic infrastructure built on frozen ground > Drones and digital twins spot permafrost thaw before damage. - Title: Arctic infrastructure built on frozen ground | Shortify - Summary: Drones and digital twins spot permafrost thaw before damage. Permafrost thaw threatens Alaska infrastructure, with 80% of buildings at risk by 2090 if… - Keywords: alaska, permafrost, digital twins, drone surveying, infrastructure, arctic, permafrost thaw, road damage, building damage, pipeline damage, climate change, utqiagvik - Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/arctic-infrastructure-was-built-on-frozen-ground-drones-and-digital-twins-can-help-spot-the-permafrost-thaw-coming-292097 - Author: Ming Xiao - Read time: 1 min - Topics: alaska, permafrost, digital twins, drone surveying, infrastructure, arctic, permafrost thaw, road damage, building damage, pipeline damage, climate change, utqiagvik ## Wainwright's frozen foundation Alaska town built on permafrost faces melting ice beneath roads and homes. > A view of Wainwright, Alaska, which sits on low-lying coastal terrain underlain by permafrost ## Coastal bluffs eroding 2024 bluff collapse in Utqiagvik brought eroding edge within meters of buildings. > A coastal bluff failure in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, in August 2024 shows cracks and the narrow distance between the eroding edge and buildings ## Permafrost thaw risks Melting permafrost causes roads to sink, buildings to tilt, and pipelines to crack. > When ice within frozen ground, known as permafrost, melts, roads can sink, buildings can tilt, pipelines can crack and leak, and shorelines can retreat ## 2025 cost estimate Permafrost thaw could cost Alaska $37 billion to $51 billion in building and road damage. > A study in 2025 estimated that permafrost thaw could cost Alaska US$37 billion to $51 billion just in building and road damage ## Drone surveying method Drones carry electromagnetic sensors to map thawing ground without drilling. > Researchers operate a drone-borne geophysical system over Arctic tundra near Utqiagvik, Alaska, in August 2024 ## VLF-EM technology Low frequency electromagnetic surveys detect thawed ground by measuring electrical conductivity. > One method my team is working with is very low frequency electromagnetic surveying, or VLF-EM. It uses electromagnetic signals from distant transmitters and measures how the ground responds ## 2026 risk projections By 2090, 80% of buildings and 90% of pipelines face permafrost thaw damage. > By the 2090s, about 80% of buildings, 60% of roads and 90% of pipelines are projected to be at risk of damage from sinking land ## Digital twin models Computer models predict infrastructure damage from permafrost thaw using real-time data. > We are also developing computer models called digital twins for monitoring cold regions’ infrastructure ## Future preparedness Engineers need tools to forecast permafrost thaw risks decades ahead. > Communities need easy-to-use tools showing where hazards may develop, how those hazards may change over coming decades, and what infrastructure could be affected ## Key takeaway Permafrost thaw threatens Alaska infrastructure, with 80% of buildings at risk by 2090 if warming continues.