Carbon dioxide from thawing Arctic permafrost is likely to be released gradually, rather than in a catastrophic eruption. ETM/Landsat 7/NASA The “carbon bomb” stored in the thawing Arctic permafrost may be released in a slow leak as global warming takes hold, rather than an eruption, according to new research. Scientists at the US Geological Survey (USGS) found previous predictions of a catastrophic release of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere as permafrost thaws may have been overstated. But the impact on the climate of future permafrost emissions remained significant. More than 1,000 billion tons of carbon are stored in the soils beneath the Arctic tundra, double humanity’s emissions since the industrial revolution. “The data from our team’s syntheses don’t support the permafrost carbon bomb view,” said A David McGuire, a senior scientist at the USGS, which conducted a review of the current science on permafrost thawing. Read the rest at the Guardian. More here: Permafrost “Carbon Bomb” May Be More of a Slow Burn, Say Scientists ; ; ;

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Permafrost “Carbon Bomb” May Be More of a Slow Burn, Say Scientists