Do trees that large grow in permafrost?
the questions that come to mind looking at that pic...
Isnt it obvious that there is/has been create caverns under the permafrost for something like this to happen??
If it is indeed a melt, where is the water going?
Hasn’t anyone did a seismic(if that’s the correct term) tests on the ground to see how many underground caves there are?
Although very unlikely IMHO(& knowledge) that a clearing of trees caused this, going back to basics, frozen water expands and unfrozen earth settles over time. Like a slab of concrete over footings. in time the center of the slab cracks and falls because the ground underneath settles...
IOWs I bet a good portion of the permafrost is suspended in this way... it has to be for something like this to happen...