3. Speaking of Mass Disease…

Antarctic ice has held tiny creatures for around 750,000 years—long before humans existed. If history is any indication, we will almost certainly be vulnerable to the diseases and pathogens these creatures hold. Of course, these microorganisms have long since developed immunity to the pathogens under the frozen ice. But humans won’t be so lucky. Some scientists refer to Antarctica as a “storehouse for genes.” There are likely many deadly diseases in that gene storehouse as well.

The thought of these discoveries sounds like the start of some kind of horror movie or Tom Clancy book! But the consequences could be very, very real. As delicately as possible, biologists have tried unthawing sections of ice and studying the microorganisms within. However, even that has proven difficult and deadly. In fact, some of those fatal incidents have already happened.

In the recent past, thawed bacteria have spread and caused outbreaks of deadly diseases such as smallpox, bubonic plague, and anthrax. The latter pathogen caused a deadly mini-pandemic that swept across Siberia in 2016. Seeing that destruction play out on a lesser level leads scientists to believe this may not be the only time such an unthawing event occurs. Thus, researchers need to continue studying the potential risks of unfrozen bacteria and viruses in order to prevent future outbreaks.

Still, as the earth’s ice melts, we continue to put ourselves at greater risk that long-frozen bacteria will be revived. In one case, scientists uncovered evidence of eight-million-year-old bacteria buried deep in Antarctica’s ice sheet. The potential unexpected consequences that could come from that ancient bacteria could usher in an entirely new—and dangerous—world. Once the ice begins to melt in full, it’ll be difficult to stop the inevitable spread.^[8]

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