More On Rapid Permafrost Thaw: "Forests Can Become Lakes In The Course Of A Month"

[hatrack]

Rapidly thawing permafrost in the Arctic has scientists worried. According to a new study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, the ice that holds the soil together is melting, causing hillsides to collapse and massive sinkholes to open up as a result. And that dramatic disruption to the landscape is only part of the story — a bigger concern is the growing amount of carbon this process releases into the atmosphere.

The rapid melting of previously solid permafrost promotes microbial activity, which releases greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, causing carbon levels to rise. Higher carbon levels, in turn, contribute to global warming. The study warns that the level of emissions from the Arctic could be much higher than previously estimated.

Merritt Turetsky, lead author of the study, said the abrupt thawing is “fast and dramatic” and “affects landscapes in unprecedented ways.” “Abrupt thawing of permafrost will double previous estimates of potential carbon emissions from permafrost thaw in the Arctic,” Turetsky said in a press release.

“Forests can become lakes in the course of a month, landslides occur with no warning, and invisible methane seep holes pose threats to the safety of hunters and snowmobilers traveling across the land.”

EDIT

https://desdemonadespair.net/2020/02/fast-and-dramatic-permafrost-thaw-will-double-previous-estimates-of-potential-carbon-emissions-forests-can-become-lakes-in-the-course-of-a-month.html

[bronxiteforever]

1. Kick and recommend. "Fast and dramatic".