ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A paper published by federal and academic researchers says greenhouse gases generated by thawing of permanently frozen Arctic soils will accelerate climate change but will do so gradually.
U.S. Geological Survey senior scientist Dave McGuire says the release will be substantive but will give society time to adapt. He and other scientists conclude the effect will be comparable to tropical deforestation.
Permafrost is permanently frozen ground. Permafrost soils contain carbon in organic material from dead plants and animals.
As the climate warms and permafrost thaws, microbes decompose organic material, releasing carbon dioxide and methane. Those gases create additional warming.
Permafrost in Alaska, Russia and other Arctic regions has warmed nearly 11 degrees in 30 years, from an average temperature of just under 18 degrees to just over 28 degrees Fahrenheit.
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