Permafrost is a layer of
permanently frozen soil beneath the
tundra.
Plants that grow here grow in the thinnest top layer of soil which
thaws for a short time in the
summer. Permafrost prevents drainwater above it from seeping into the
ground, causing the
water to accumulate in the tundra above, and so the ground remains somewhat
soggy on the
surface.
In parts of northern Russia, the permafrost is over 1,800 feet deep.
ASCII Art diagram of permafrost:
I'm cold! -- o/
/Y
, ,,, ,, , ,,,, surface / \ , ,, ,,,,, <-- some small plant life
`. ,' `- ^ ~'` ^ tundra ' o `.' - `~. ' <-- soggy
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO | can be
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO permafrost OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO | 100's of
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO | feet deep
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO V
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO