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yedoma

A type of Pleistocene-age (formed 1.8 million to 10,000 years before present) permafrost that contains a significant amount of organic material with ice content of 50–90% by volume. Thawing yedoma is a significant source of atmospheric methane.

  A yedoma in Russia shows the thick layer of ice and carbon material exposed along this body of water. --Credit: Vladimir Romanovsky
A yedoma in Russia shows the thick layer of ice and carbon material exposed along this body of water. --Credit: Vladimir Romanovsky