Apr 9, 2015
Climate change and the permafrost carbon feedback
by
,
Nature
- States that large quantities of organic carbon are stored in frozen soils (permafrost) within Arctic and sub-Arctic regions
- States that a warming climate can induce environmental changes that accelerate the microbial breakdown of organic carbon and the release of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane
- States that this feedback can accelerate climate change, but the magnitude and timing of greenhouse gas emission from these regions and their impact on climate change remain uncertain
- Finds that current evidence suggests a gradual and prolonged release of greenhouse gas emissions in a warming climate and present a research strategy with which to target poorly understood aspects of permafrost carbon dynamics