Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, August 10
Under high emissions scenarios, northern hemisphere permafrost and peatlands will show a 30-50% greater contribution to warming than previously projected, with emissions impacts equivalent to 1% of all anthropogenic radiative forcing this century – and this takes into account both peatland carbon uptake and permafrost thaw emissions, as both CO2 and methane. Permafrost has accumulated large amounts of carbon and nitrogen over many millennia. Today, it holds 80% of the global peatland carbon and nitrogen stock, and presently serves as a net carbon sink. However, a 2°C temperature increase would thaw half of all such permafrost, converting 50% of it to emissions not taken up by increased plant growth. The authors conclude that we must remain below 2°C to prevent such carbon cycle climate feedback.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/08/04/1916387117
Compiled by Amy Imedieke
Nature Sustainability, 4 May 2026 Sediment records from the Last Inter-Glacial (LIG) period suggest that…
NPJ Climate and Atmospheric Science, 20 May 2026 Human-caused warming has been the primary driver…
Nature Communications, 27 May 2026 Sudden drainage of meltwater lakes through water-filled fractures can locally…
Nature Communications Earth and Environment, 28 May 2026 Rapid sea ice loss is driving a…
Negotiators and high-level representatives from several major negotiating groups in the UNFCCC (AOSIS, represented by…
Monday June 8th, 16:30-17:45 CEST in Room Kaminzimmer, World Conference Center (WCC), Bonn Dear Cryosphere…