Scientists have long known that the permafrost in Alaska, Canada, Siberia and Northern Europe is thawing and that this could lead to an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) release into the earth's atmosphere as old roots and bones, having been locked away for 1000's of year, start to decompose and root away.

However, until recently scientists did not know what the likely contribution of the rotting organic materials would be to global warming. A new study have managed to quantify the volume of CO2 likely to be released over the next 100 years.

 

Ecologist Ted Schuur of the University of Florida confirmed that if all permafrost thaws is would significantly accelerate global warming and trigger a powerful feedback mechanism where rising temperatures would lead to further increases in temperature and further thawing and release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

 

 

According to Mr. Schuur, the Siberian permafrost, the largest in the world covering an area of some 400,000 square miles, with an average depth of 82 feet, probably holds about 500 billion metric tons of carbon.

 

In comparison cars, power plants and other fossil fuel burners release only 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually

 

The research confirmed that if all permafrost thawed and released its carbon, it would nearly double the existing 730 billion metric tons of carbon now in the atmosphere.

 

Mr. Schuur pointed out that many existing climate models do not incorporate this potent source of carbon dioxide and that world temperatures by 2100 should be adjusted upwards to cover the impact of the permafrost feedback mechanism.