Melting Arctic permafrost releases vast stores of carbon into the atmosphere

A new study reveals that over a third of the Arctic's permafrost, once a carbon storage powerhouse, is now emitting carbon dioxide as global temperatures rise.

Patrick Greenfield reports for The Guardian.

In short:

• Arctic ecosystems that stored carbon for millennia are now emitting CO2, with 30% of the region a net source of emissions, rising to 40% when wildfire emissions are included.
• Rising temperatures are thawing permafrost, increasing microbial activity that decomposes organic material and releases stored carbon.
• Scientists warn this permafrost-carbon feedback could accelerate climate change, as Arctic carbon reserves are nearly double the carbon currently in the atmosphere.

Key quote:

“There is a load of carbon in the Arctic soils. It’s close to half of the Earth’s soil carbon pool. That’s much more than there is in the atmosphere. There’s a huge potential reservoir that should ideally stay in the ground.”

— Anna Virkkala, lead author of the study

Why this matters:

As Arctic permafrost thaws, it releases immense amounts of carbon, amplifying global warming. This feedback loop threatens to undermine efforts to curb climate change, making it critical to monitor and mitigate these emissions.