Why can heated buildings cause deeper permafrost thaw than roads do?

Heated buildings cause more profound and rapid permafrost thawing than roads or airfields because of the continuous, concentrated heat transfer from the structure into the ground. While roads and airfields primarily disrupt the thermal equilibrium of the permafrost by compacting the active layer or using thin gravel fills that may conduct summer heat, they are generally unheated structures.12

In contrast, a heated building introduces a persistent thermal source that directly warms the underlying soil, leading to significant melting of ground ice and subsequent surface subsidence. To mitigate these issues, engineers often use a "passive method" to preserve the permafrost, such as utilizing thick gravel pads to contain seasonal temperature variations, though this becomes increasingly impractical in warmer subarctic regions.12