Permafrost Thaw: A Hidden Climate Change Accelerator

Climate scientists recognize carbon trapped in permafrost as a significant potential contributor to global warming when the frozen soil thaws. Arctic permafrost holds the largest terrestrial pool of organic carbon on the planet-more than currently exists in Earth’s atmosphere.

as Arctic regions warm, adn melting ice and thawing soil decompose, vast amounts of carbon and methane are released. This could dramatically accelerate climate change, according to biogeochemist Suzanne Tank, an expert in the cycling of elements essential to life.

“even a partial release of permafrost carbon could push atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations to levels unseen in recent Earth history,” Tank writes with environmental soil scientist David Olefeldt and permafrost expert Duane Froese.

“We don’t currently have a clear understanding of how much permafrost thaw contributes to the increasing CO2 levels,” says tank. “This isn’t factored into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) frameworks, and we beleive it’s crucial to quantify this impact.”

The three University of Alberta researchers have received $