What makes your think that we do not understand the chemistry here?
Where do we start the “x is caused by y”? The way it actually happened? Then melting permafrost is indeed the first step.
If you want to go by how we ended up perceiving it, then you need to start, for example, at how the brown color came to be. Then where that came from. Then what caused it to be made. Etc.
There’s definitely a long chain of events that led to these rivers turning orange.
It would be unsatisfying to say “the universe coming into existence caused it”. You need to pick a level to stop at. You’re satisfied with “melting permafrost causes water to turn orange” but I think it’s very reasonable to step a level down. The title is accurate in that regard. The people complaining seem to want the article to be more political.
BTW this discussion reminds me of when Feynman was asked about magnetism.
What makes your think that we do not understand the chemistry here?
Where do we start the “x is caused by y”? The way it actually happened? Then melting permafrost is indeed the first step. If you want to go by how we ended up perceiving it, then you need to start, for example, at how the brown color came to be. Then where that came from. Then what caused it to be made. Etc.
There’s definitely a long chain of events that led to these rivers turning orange.
It would be unsatisfying to say “the universe coming into existence caused it”. You need to pick a level to stop at. You’re satisfied with “melting permafrost causes water to turn orange” but I think it’s very reasonable to step a level down. The title is accurate in that regard. The people complaining seem to want the article to be more political.
BTW this discussion reminds me of when Feynman was asked about magnetism.
https://youtu.be/MO0r930Sn_8?si=k45lFqc0729QQHjX