Greenhouse Gases in Permafrost Larger Than Earlier Estimates, Study Says

A new study says that the amount of carbon dioxide and methane trapped in permafrost in the Arctic is 60 percent higher than previously estimated, meaning that vast amounts of these greenhouse gases will be released as the region continues its rapid warming. Scientists at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, report in the journal Nature Geoscience that they came up with their estimate after sampling 117 sites in North America to a depth of at least one meter, considerably deeper than previous studies. The scientists estimated that the amount of greenhouse gases that could be emitted into the atmosphere from melting and decaying permafrost in North America alone is equal to one-sixth of the carbon currently in the atmosphere.