Media and publications

Read our media engagement and publications on all things permafrost.

Media engagement 

Our research has been featured across traditional and new media, as in the following examples:

UNILAD (2024)

Popular Science (2024)

Newsweek (2022)

 The New Yorker (2022)

BBC (2020)

Newsweek (2019)

Publications

Find out about the latest findings in permafrost science in our researchers' academic articles. 

2025

  • Friggens, N. L., Hugelius, G., Kokelj, S. V., Murton, J., Phoenix, G. K., & Hartley, I. P. (2025). Positive rhizosphere priming accelerates carbon release from permafrost soils. Nature Communications, 16(1), pages. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-58845-9
    Article. .
  • Lupachev, A. V., Tananaev, N. I., Murton, J., Kalinin, P. I., Malyshev, V. V., & Danilov, P. P. (2025). Microstructure and geochemical properties of modern and buried soils and hosting permafrost sediments of the Batagay retrogressive thaw slump. Quaternary Research (United States), 1-21. doi:10.1017/qua.2024.58
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., Opel, T., Toms, P., Wood, J., Boxleitner, K., Savvinov, G., . . . Tikhonravova, Y. (2025). Preliminary paleoenvironmental analysis and luminescence dating of upper Middle Pleistocene permafrost deposits of the Ulakhan Sular Formation, Adycha River, east Siberia. Quaternary Research (United States), 124, 1-25. doi:10.1017/qua.2024.36
    Article. .
  • Friggens, N. L., England, N., Murton, J., Phoenix, G. K., & Hartley, I. P. (2025). BLOSOM: A Plant Growth Facility Optimised for Continuous <sup>13</sup>C Labelling and Measurement of Soil Organic Matter Dynamics. European Journal of Soil Science, 76(1), pages. doi:10.1111/ejss.70042
    Article. .

2024

  • Burn, C. R., Bartsch, A., Chakraborty, E., Das, S., Frauenfelder, R., G盲rtner鈥怰oer, I., . . . Yarmak, E. (2024). Developments in Permafrost Science and Engineering in Response to Climate Warming in Circumpolar and High Mountain Regions, 2019鈥2024. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, pages. doi:10.1002/ppp.2261
    Article. .
  • Murton, J. (2024). Ice wedges and related structures. In Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science (pp. 154-202). Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-99931-1.00172-0
    Chapter. .
  • Bennett, J., Cullingford, R., Gibbard, P., Hughes, P., & Murton, J. (2024). The Quaternary geology of Devon. Geoscience in South-West England, 84-130.
    Article. .
  • Giles, D., & Murton, J. (2024). Bedrock disturbances. In Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science (pp. 356-376). Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-99931-1.00086-6
    Chapter. .
  • Murton, J. (2024). Reconstructing Younger Dryas ground temperature and snow thickness from cave deposits. Climate of the Past, 20(7), 1521-1535. doi:10.5194/cp-20-1521-2024
    Article. .
  • Uxa, T., K艡铆啪ek, M., Krause, D., Moska, P., & Murton, J. (2024). Optically-stimulated-luminescence ages and paleo-environmental implications of relict frost wedges in north鈥揷entral Bohemia, Czech Republic. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 35(3), 294-383. doi:10.1002/ppp.2241
    Article. .
  • McSorley-Morgan, F., Murton, J., Barlow, J., & Veremeeva, A. (2024). GIS analysis of lake and basin orientation, Yana鈥揑ndigirka Lowland, northeast Siberia. Geomorphology, 452, 109108. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109108
    Article. .

2023

  • Rodr铆guez-L贸pez, J. P., Liesa, C. L., Luz贸n, A., Mu帽oz, A., Mayayo, M. J., Murton, J., & Soria, A. R. (2024). Ice-rafted dropstones at midlatitudes in the Cretaceous of continental Iberia. Geology, 52(1), 33-38. doi:10.1130/g51725.1
    Article. .
  • Dzieduszy艅ska, D. A., Petera-Zganiacz, J., Murton, J., & Barlow, J. (2023). Dry valleys and dells. In Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences (3 ed., pp. pages). Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-99931-1.00069-6
    Chapter. .
  • Murton, J., Opel, T., Wetterich, S., Ashastina, K., Savvinov, G., Danilov, P., & Boeskorov, V. (2023). Batagay megaslump: A review of the permafrost deposits, Quaternary environmental history, and recent development. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 34(3), 399-416. doi:10.1002/ppp.2194
    Article. .
  • Xia, G., Wu, C., Mansour, A., Jin, X., Yi, H., Li, G., . . . Lopez, J. P. R. (2023). Eocene-Oligocene glaciation on a high central Tibetan Plateau. Geology, pages. doi:10.1130/g51104.1
    Article. .
  • Stevens, R., Reade, H., Sayle, K., Tripp, J., Fr茅mondeau, D., Lister, A., . . . Higham, T. (2023). Major excursions in sulfur isotopes linked to permafrost change in Eurasia during the last 50,000 Years.. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-2556240/v1
    Preprint. .

2022

  • Rodr铆guez-L贸pez, J. P., Wu, C., Vishnivetskaya, T. A., Murton, J., Tang, W., & Ma, C. (2022). Permafrost in the Cretaceous supergreenhouse. Nature Communications, 13, e7946 1-15. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-35676-6
    Article. .
  • Courtin, J., Perfumo, A., Andreev, A. A., Opel, T., Stoof-Leichsenring, K. R., Edwards, M., . . . Herzchuh, U. (2022). Pleistocene glacial and interglacial ecosystems inferred from ancient DNA analyses of permafrost sediments from Batagay megaslump, East Siberia. Environmental DNA, pages. doi:10.1002/edn3.336
    Article. .
  • Zhang, J., Murton, J., Cane, T., Maji, V., Sui, L., Liu, S., & Zhang, S. (2022). Evaluation of freezing state of sandstone using ultrasonic time-frequency characteristics. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, pages. doi:10.1016/j.jrmge.2022.04.013
    Article. .
  • Murton, J. (2022). Ground ice. In Treatise on Geomorphology (Vol. 4, pp. 428-457). Elsevier. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818234-5.00114-0
    Chapter. .
  • Murton, J. (2022). Cryostratigraphy. In Treatise on Geomorphology (Vol. 4, pp. 458-490). Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-818234-5.00115-2
    Chapter. .

2021

  • Murton, J., Opel, T., Toms, P., Blinov, A., Fuchs, M., Wood, J., . . . Wetterich, S. (2021). A multimethod dating study of ancient permafrost, Batagay megaslump, east Siberia. Quaternary Research, 1-22. doi:10.1017/qua.2021.27
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., & Maji, V. (2021). Experimental observations and statistical modelling of crack propagation dynamics in limestone by acoustic emission analysis during freezing and thawing. doi:10.1002/essoar.10506327.1
    Preprint. .
  • Murton, J. (2021). What and where are periglacial landscapes?. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 1-27. doi:10.1002/PPP.2102
    Article. .

2020

  • Murton, J. (2020). Periglacial processes and deposits. In Encyclopedia of Geology, 2nd edition (pp. 857-875). Amsterdam: Elsevier. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11925-6
    Chapter. .
  • Zhang, J. -W., Murton, J., Liu, S. -J., Sui, L. -L., & Zhang, S. (2020). Detection of the freezing state and frozen section thickness of fine sand by ultrasonic testing. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 1-16. doi:10.1002/ppp.2075
    Article. .
  • Wolfe, S., Murton, J., Bateman, M., & Barlow, J. (2020). Oriented-lake development in the context of late Quaternary landscape evolution, McKinley Bay Coastal Plain, western Arctic Canada. Quaternary Science Reviews, 242, pages. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106414
    Article. .
  • Zhang, J. -W., Murton, J., Liu, S. -J., Zhang, S., Wang, L., Kong, L. -H., & Ding, H. (2020). Sensitivity and regression analysis of acoustic parameters for determining physical properties of frozen fine sand with ultrasonic test. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, pages. doi:10.1144/qjegh2020-021
    Article. .
  • Maji, V., & Murton, J. (2020). Experimental observations that simulated active-layer deepening drives deeper rock fracture. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 1-15. doi:10.1002/ppp.2041
    Article. .

2019

  • Maji, V., & Murton, J. (2019). Micro-computed tomography imaging and probabilistic modelling of rock fracture by freeze鈥搕haw. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, pages. doi:10.1002/esp.4764
    Article. .
  • Opel, T., Murton, J., Wetterich, S., Meyer, H., Ashastina, K., G眉nther, F., . . . Schirrmeister, L. (2019). Past climate and continentality inferred from ice wedges at Batagay megaslump in the Northern Hemisphere鈥檚 most continental region, Yana Highlands, interior Yakutia. Climate of the Past, 15, 1443-1461. doi:10.5194/cp-15-1443-2019
    Article. .

2018

  • Murton, J. (2018). Frost weathering of chalk. In Engineering in Chalk: Proceedings of the Chalk 2018 Conference (pp. pages). Imperial College, London, UK: Ice Publishing. doi:10.1680/eiccf.64072.497
    Conference publication. .
  • Opel, T., Meyer, H., Wetterich, S., Laepple, T., Dereviagin, A., & Murton, J. (2018). Ice wedges as archives of winter palaeoclimate: a review. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 29(3), 199-209. doi:10.1002/ppp.1980
    Article. .

2017

  • Estop-Aragon茅s, C., Cooper, M. D. A., Fisher, J. P., Thierry, A., Garnett, M. H., Charman, D. J., . . . Hartley, I. P. (2017). Limited release of previously-frozen C and increased new peat formation after thaw in permafrost peatlands. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 118, 115-129. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2017.12.010
    Article. .
  • Cooper, M. D. A., Estop-Aragon茅s, C., Fisher, J. P., Thierry, A., Garnett, M. H., Charman, D. J., . . . Hartley, I. P. (2017). Limited contribution of permafrost carbon to methane release from thawing peatlands. Nature Climate Change, 7, 501-511. doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE3328
    Article. .
  • Opel, T., Wetterich, S., Meyer, H., Dereviagin, A. Y., Fuchs, M. C., & Schirrmeister, L. (2017). Ground-ice stable isotopes and cryostratigraphy reflect late Quaternary palaeoclimate in the Northeast Siberian Arctic (Oyogos Yar coast, Dmitry Laptev Strait). Climate of the Past, 13, 587-611. doi:10.5194/cp-13-587-2017
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., Bateman, M. D., Telka, A. M., Waller, R., Whiteman, C., & Kuzmina, S. (2017). Early to Mid Wisconsin fluvial deposits and palaeoenvironment of the Kidluit Formation, Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, western Arctic Canada. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 28(3), 523-533. doi:10.1002/ppp.1946
    Article. .
  • Grieman, M. M., Aydin, M., Fritzsche, D., McConnell, J. R., Opel, T., Sigl, M., & Saltzman, E. S. (2017). Aromatic acids in a Eurasian Arctic ice core: a 2,600-year proxy record of biomass burning. Climate of the Past, 13, 395-410. doi:10.5194/cp-13-395-2017
    Article. .
  • Opel, T., Laepple, T., Meyer, H., Dereviagin, A. Y., & Wetterich, S. (2017). Northeast Siberian ice wedges confirm Arctic winter warming over the past two millennia. Holocene, 27(11), 1789-1796. doi:10.1177/0959683617702229
    Article. .
  • von Albedyl, L., Opel, T., Fritzsche, D., Merchel, S., Laepple, T., & Rugel, G. (2017). 10Be in the Akademii Nauk ice core 鈥 first results for CE 1590-1950 and implications for future chronology validation. Journal of Glaciology, 63(239), 514-522. doi:10.1017/jog.2017.19
    Article. .
  • Giles, D. P., Griffiths, J. S., Evans, D. J. A., & Murton, J. (2017). Geomorphological framework: glacial and periglacial sediments, structures and landforms. In Engineering Geology and Geomorphology of Glaciated and Periglaciated Terrains 鈥 Engineering Group Working Party Report (Vol. 28, pp. 59-368). London: Geological Society. doi:10.1144/EGSP28.3
    Chapter. .
  • Murton, J., & Ballantyne, C. K. (2017). Periglacial and permafrost ground models for Great Britain. In Engineering Geology and Geomorphology of Glaciated and Periglaciated Terrains 鈥 Engineering Group Working Party Report (Vol. 28, pp. 501-597). London: Geological Society. doi:10.1144/EGSP28.5
    Chapter. .

2016

  • Murton, J., Kuras, O., Krautblatter, M., Cane, T., Tschofen, D., Uhlemann, S., . . . Watson, P. (2016). Monitoring rock freezing and thawing by novel geoelectrical and acoustic techniques. Journal of Geophysical Research, 121(12), 2309-2332. doi:10.1002/2016JF003948
    Article. .
  • Gilbert, G. L., Kanevskiy, M., & Murton, J. (2016). Special Issue: Recent advances (2008 鈥 2015) in the study of ground ice and cryostratigraphy. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 27(4), 377-389. doi:10.1002/ppp.1912
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., Ozouf, J. -C., & Peterson, R. (2016). Heave, settlement and fracture of chalk during physical modelling experiments with temperature cycling above and below 0掳C. Geomorphology, 270, 71-87. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.07.016
    Article. .
  • Fisher, J. P., Estop-Aragones, C., Thierry, A., Charman, D. J., Wolfe, S. A., Hartley, I. P., . . . Phoenix, G. K. (2016). The influence of vegetation and soil characteristics on active-layer thickness of permafrost soils in boreal forest. Global Change Biology, 22(9), 3127-3140. doi:10.1111/gcb.13248
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., & Giles, D. P. (2016). The quaternary periglaciation of Kent: field guide. Quaternary Research Association.
    Book. .

2015

  • Murton, J., Goslar, T., Edwards, M. E., Bateman, M. D., Danilov, P. P., Savvinov, G. N., . . . Wolfe, S. A. (2015). Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of yedoma silt (ice complex) deposition as cold-climate loess, Duvanny Yar, northeast Siberia. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 26(3), 208-288. doi:10.1002/ppp.1843
    Article. .

2013

  • Murton, J. (2013). Ice wedges and ice-wedge casts. In Encyclopedia of quaternary science (Vol. 3, pp. 436-451). Amsterdam: Elsevier.
    Chapter. .
  • Murton, J. (2013). Ground ice and cryostratigraphy. In Treatise on geomorphology.Glacial and periglacial geomorphology (Vol. 8, pp. 173-201). Dan Diego: Academic Press.
    Chapter. .

2011

  • Waller, R., Phillips, E., Murton, J., Lee, J., & Whiteman, C. (2011). Sand intraclasts as evidence of subglacial deformation of Middle Pleistocene permafrost, north Norfolk, UK. Quaternary Science Reviews, 30(23-24), 3481-3500. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2011.07.011
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., & Belshaw, R. K. (2011). A conceptual model of valley incision, planation and terrace formation during cold and arid permafrost conditions of Pleistocene southern England. Quaternary Research, 75(2), 385-394. doi:10.1016/j.yqres.2010.10.002
    Article. .

2010

  • Bateman, M. D., Murton, J., & Boulter, C. (2010). The source of De variability in periglacial sand wedges: Depositional processes versus measurement issues. Quaternary Geochronology, 5(2-3), 250-256. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2009.03.007
    Article. .

2008

  • Harris, C., Kern-Luetschg, M., Murton, J., Font, M., Davies, M., & Smith, F. (2008). Solifluction processes on permafrost and non-permafrost slopes: results of a large-scale laboratory simulation. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 19(4), 359-378. doi:10.1002/ppp.630
    Article. .
  • Matsuoka, N., & Murton, J. (2008). Frost weathering: recent advances and future directions. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 19(2), 195-210. doi:10.1002/ppp.620
    Article. .

2006

  • Murton, J. (2006). Ice wedges and ice-wedge casts. In Encyclopedia of quaternary sciences (pp. 2154-2169). Elsevier Science.
    Chapter. .
  • Murton, J., Peterson, R., & Ozouf, J. -C. (2006). Bedrock fracture by ice segregation in cold regions. Science, 314(5802), 1127-1129. doi:10.1126/science.1132127
    Article. .
  • Bateman, M. D., & Murton, J. (2006). The Chronostratigraphy of Late Pleistocene glacial and periglacial aeolian activity in the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, NWT, Canada. Quaternary Science Reviews, 25, 2552-2568.
    Article. .

2005

  • Harris, C., Murton, J., & Davies, M. C. R. (2005). An analysis of mechanisms of ice-wedge casting based on geotechnical centrifuge simulations. Geomorphology, 71(3-4), 328-343. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2005.03.006
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., Whiteman, C. A., Waller, R. I., Pollard, W. H., Clark, I. D., & Dallimore, S. R. (2005). Basal ice facies and supraglacial melt-out till of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, western Arctic Canada.. Quaternary Science Reviews, 24, 681-708. doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2004.06.008
    Article. .

2004

  • Murton, J., Waller, R. I., Hart, J. K., Whiteman, C. A., Pollard, W. H., & Clark, I. D. (2004). Stratigraphy and glaciotectonic structures of permafrost deformed beneath the northwest margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, Canada.. Journal of Glaciology, 50(170), 399-412. doi:10.3189/172756504781829927
    Article. .

2003

  • Murton, J., Bateman, M. D., Baker, C. A., Knox, R., & Whiteman, C. A. (2003). The Devensian periglacial record on Thanet, Kent, UK.. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 14(3), 217-246. doi:10.1002/ppp.442
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., & Kolstrup, E. (2003). Ice-wedge casts as indicators of palaeotemperatures: precise proxy or wishful thinking?. Progress in Physical Geography, 27, 155-170. doi:10.1191/0309133303pp365ra
    Article. .

2001

  • Murton, J., Coutard, J. -P., Lautridou, J. -P., Ozouf, J. -C., Robinson, D. A., & Williams, R. B. G. (2001). Physical modelling of bedrock brecciation by ice segregation in permafrost.. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 12(3), 255-266. doi:10.1002/ppp.390
    Article. .
  • Murton, J. (2001). Thermokarst sediments and sedimentary structures, Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, western Arctic Canada. Global and Planetary Change, 28(1-4), 175-192. doi:10.1016/S0921-8181(00)00072-2
    Article. .

2000

  • Harris, C., Murton, J., & Davies, M. C. R. (2000). Soft-sediment deformation during thawing of ice-rich frozen soils: Results of scaled centrifuge modelling experiments. Sedimentology, 47(3), 687-700. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3091.2000.00322.x
    Article. .
  • Murton, J., Worsley, P., & Gozdzik, J. (2000). Sand veins and wedges in cold aeolian environments. Quaternary Science Reviews, 19(9), 899-922. doi:10.1016/S0277-3791(99)00045-1
    Article. .

1996

  • Murton, J. (1996). Near-surface brecciation of chalk, isle of thanet, south-east England: a comparison with ice-rich brecciated bedrocks in Canada and Spitsbergen. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 7(2), 153-164. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1530(199604)7:2<153::AID-PPP215>3.0.CO;2-7
    Article. .
  • Murton, J. (1996). Thermokarst-lake-basin sediments, Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, western arctic Canada. Sedimentology, 43(4), 737-760. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3091.1996.tb02023.x
    Article. .

1994

  • Murton, J., & French, H. M. (1994). Cryostructures in permafrost Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, Western Artic Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 31(4), 737-747. doi:10.1139/e94-067
    Article. .

1993

  • Murton, J., & French, H. M. (1993). Thermokarst involutions, Summer Island, Pleistocene Mackenzie Delta, western Canadian Artic. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, 4, 217-229. doi:10.1002/ppp.3430040304
    Article. .