Where the “eternal ice” thaws, it also uncovers things that have been frozen for a long time, including viruses, bacteria and fungal spores. Some fear that such ancient pathogens could bring new pandemics to humanity. But it’s not quite that simple.
It is clear that the “eternal ice” is not eternal. Glaciers are melting, the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are thawing, and permafrost is softening. In this way, a lot of things that were locked away for a long time come to light: Ötzi, for example, mammoths – and microbes. In addition to bacteria and fungal spores, viruses are also among the ingredients in the melting soup. That shouldn’t be surprising. After all, around ten billion viruses float in one liter of North Sea water.