Northern permafrost switches from carbon sink to carbon source earlier than thought in models including deep soil carbon

Article excerpt

The Arctic and northern high latitudes are warming about 2, 4 times faster than the global average, allowing ancient permafrost to thaw and release stored carbon. These permafrost soils currently store roughly one-third of the world's organic soil carbon, much of which has remained frozen for thousands of years. As the soils thaw, organic matter from dead plants and animals within them starts to decompose, and greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, are released.