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6 November 2024, The Conversation: The frozen carbon of the northern permafrost is on the move – we estimated by how much. Among the most rapidly changing parts of our planet are the coldest landscapes near the top of the globe, just south of the Arctic. This region is warming two to four times faster than the global average. The frozen ground beneath these “boreal” forests and treeless plains or “tundra” is thawing, fast. That’s a problem because the permafrost holds enormous amounts of vulnerable carbon, more than twice as much carbon as is already present in the atmosphere. Some of that carbon is now on the move. We wanted to find out just how much carbon and nitrogen is being released from the northern permafrost region. The environment can be a source of greenhouse gases, or a “sink” – effectively soaking up carbon and removing it from the atmosphere. So we had to determine and balance the budget. As part of the Global Carbon Project, we have now published the first full greenhouse gas budget tallying sources and sinks for the northern permafrost region. It contains a mixed bag of good and not-so-good news for the climate. What is permafrost, and why should we be concerned? Permafrost is ground that stays frozen. It may contain soil, peat, rocks and ice. Often, remnants of ancient plants and animals such as the now extinct woolly mamooth can also be seen. In such cold conditions, plants mainly grow during summer. New leaf litter and dead plants are then quickly frozen and permanently stored for thousands of years. This has led to the buildup of a phenomenal store of carbon: more than a trillion tonnes. For comparison, all tropical forests and soils store less than half that amount. Read more here