Even Frozen Permafrost Can Produce Carbon Emissions

Frontier Earth Science, December 15

Measurements of carbon emissions (the greenhouse gases CO2 and methane) from a permafrost column sample found that still-frozen layers deeper in the soil produced measurable amounts of emissions, even prior to thaw.  This carbon release appears to arise from active microorganisms living in the frozen permafrost environment, adding to emissions from the thawed portions.  The results from this permafrost sample, taken from permafrost-rich bluffs along the Beaufort Sea in the Western Canadian Arctic, indicates that as these bluffs erode further, exposing more of the permafrost to air, carbon emissions from such permafrost bluffs may be greater than previous estimates.  The authors observe that permafrost thaw also contributes to the erosion of these coastal bluffs, threatening the stability of infrastructure in these regions.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2020.582103/full

Compiled by Amy Imdieke.