Climate change could be exacerbated by thawing permafrost that releases large amounts of greenhouse gases once it has defrosted.
Permafrost is soil that has been frozen for extensive periods and is found over large areas of the Arctic. Historically, it has acted as a vital barrier against climate change, as it contains roughly 1,700 billion tonnes of carbon, around three times the amount currently in the atmosphere.
But rising temperatures has led to thawing, which could lead to the release of large amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, creating a self‑reinforcing process.
Professor Paul Glover from the University of Leeds, who led the research, said: “It is now widely recognised that climate change is leading to significant thawing of permafrost, with a 42% expected loss in the Arctic Circumpolar Permafrost Region by 2050.
“The release of huge amounts of carbon that have been stored in previously frozen soils, predominantly in the Arctic, represents a very real...