Permafrost Melting; Do We Care Yet?

Reader Contribution by Michael Kelberer
article image

One of the major “tipping points” that climate scientists worry about is the melting of the permafrost in the world’s tundra zone. The fear is that a massive release of methane gas will occur, and that, since methane is 20 times more heat-trapping than CO2, an irreversible and catastrophic increase in the rate of global warming will result.

A recent paper in the Journal Science by Anton Baks et. al. has studied the effects of past climate warming on the planet’s permafrost and concluded that a 1.5?C  global rise in  temperatures over the long term baseline will create a significant weakening of the permafrost. We’re already halfway there (0.8?C) and will hit that target by mid-century.

When the permafrost melts, the buried plant matter is exposed to sunlight (UV rays in particular), and the process of bacteria converting that stored carbon to CO2 and methane accelerates, releasing perhaps 40 percent of these greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That can’t be good, no matter what.

Just how bad it is, however, is still scientifically uncertain, as is the rate of warming up there.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368