

Earth Wise: Permafrost thaw speeds warming

9:26 PM, Dec. 29, 2012
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Permafrost is defined as soil, sediment, or rock - including ice and organic material - that's remained frozen for at least two straight years. Permafrost covers a large area of land in the Northern Hemisphere. The problem? It's thawing. Permafrost lands contain vast stores of carbon. Thawing permafrost releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and methane gas, which had previously been trapped in the frozen ground. And if the thawing continues as expected, it could drastically increase global warming.

By 2100, a United Nations report projects that thawing permafrost could emit the ...