Migrating Siberian Shrubs colonize all open tundra
(EarthObservatory), January 24, 2012 -
In the 2011 Arctic Report Card, scientists concluded that the Arctic environment has undergone a fundamental shift in conditions. Recent years—warmer, greener, less icy—are likely the new normal for the Far North. One sign of the Arctic’s ongoing transformation is the spread of shrubs across the tundra.
The pair of images above show a site on the Siberian tundra near Russia’s Yennisey River as they appeared in the summers of 1966 (top) and 2009 (bottom). The top image is from Gambit, a declassified spy satellite, and the lower image is from GeoEye-1, a commercial satellite. In the 43 years between images, shrubs colonized virtually all the previously open tundra around a cluster of lakes. The images are from a study done by Gerald Frost, a Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia. > EarthObservatory.nasa.gov: Migrating Siberian Shrubs
Permafrost
Denver, January 23 / 24 2012 -
In geology, permafrost, cryotic soil or permafrost soil is soil at or below the freezing point of water (0 °C or 32 °F) for two or more years. Ice is not always present, as may be in the case of nonporous bedrock, but it frequently occurs and it may be in amounts exceeding the potential hydraulic saturation of the ground material. A pioneering airborne electromagnetic survey in the Yukon Flats near Fort Yukon, Alaska, by the U.S. Geological Survey has yielded unprecedented images of the presence and absence of permafrost to depths of roughly 328 feet. The airborne survey captured images of permafrost over a substantially larger area, and with greater data density, than has been previously achieved using sparse boreholes and ground-based geophysics. > www.ennmagazine.com: Permafrost > www.ennmagazine.com: Airborne Geophysical Survey Offers New Insight Into Permafrost in Alaska
Carbon Time Bomb in the Arctic: New York Times Print Edition Gets the Story Right
(ThinkProgress), December 19, 2011 -
The good news: The best NOAA analysis “suggests we have not yet activated strong climate feedbacks from permafrost and CH4 hydrates.” Climate Progress first reported that finding 2 years ago. The lead author of that work confirms to CP it still remains true — despite the fact that methane levels have been rising for the past 5 years after a decade of little growth.
The bad news: Leading experts at NOAA, the National Snow and Ice Data Center and around the world now expect the permafrost to become a major source of atmospheric carbon in the next few decades (see “NSIDC/NOAA: Thawing permafrost feedback will turn Arctic from carbon sink to source in the 2020s, releasing 100 billion tons of carbon by 2100? and “Nature: Climate Experts Warn Thawing Permafrost Could Cause 2.5 Times the Warming of Deforestation!“) > thinkprogress.org: Carbon Time Bomb in the Arctic: New York Times Print Edition Gets the Story Right Related: > Methane Hydrates: An Arctic methane worst-case scenario
As Permafrost Thaws, Scientists Study the Risks
Fairbanks, Alaska —
A bubble rose through a hole in the surface of a frozen lake. It popped, followed by another, and another, as if a pot were somehow boiling in the icy depths.
Every bursting bubble sent up a puff of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas generated beneath the lake from the decay of plant debris. These plants last saw the light of day 30,000 years ago and have been locked in a deep freeze — until now.
“That’s a hot spot,” declared Katey M. Walter Anthony, a leading scientist in studying the escape of methane. A few minutes later, she leaned perilously over the edge of the ice, plunging a bottle into the water to grab a gas sample.
It was another small clue for scientists struggling to understand one of the biggest looming mysteries about the future of the earth. > www.nytimes.com: As Permafrost Thaws, Scientists Study the Risks
Abrupt permafrost thaw increases climate threat
A time-lapse video of a North Slope tundra landscape in motion: Hourly images from July-August 2010 of the headwall of a thaw slump on the shore of Horn Lake near the site of the massive 2007 Anaktuvuk River fire. Credit Sarah Godsey
(New Scientist) November 06, 2011 -
As the Arctic permafrost melts over the coming decades, long-frozen microorganisms will thaw out and start feasting on the soil. The first have already begun to wake up – and early signs are that they will have a major impact on how Earth's climate changes. > www.newscientist.com: Thawing microbes could control the climate
Peatland carbon storage is stabilized against catastrophic release of carbon
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 04, 2011
Concerns that global warming may have a domino effect -unleashing 600 billion tons of carbon in vast expanses of peat in the Northern hemisphere and accelerating warming to disastrous proportions - may be less justified than previously thought.
That's the conclusion of a new study on the topic in ACS' journal Environmental Science and Technology. > www.spacedaily.com: Peatland carbon storage is stabilized against catastrophic release of carbon
Not so Permanent Permafrost
(Sceptical Science) 26 October 2011 -
Permanently frozen ground or permafrost occurs and persists where the mean temperature above ground is 0°C or less, resulting in soil, rock and their content being frozen and remaining frozen for at least 2 consecutive years. Permafrost is most common in higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere where it occurs over 24% of the landmass. It commonly has a depth of 0.6 to 150 metres, though depths of 1,500 metres are known. Soil temperature below 5 metres tend to remain stable even though surface temperature may seasonally thaw the active zone where limited plant growth is possible. > www.skepticalscience.com: Not so Permanent Permafrost > maps.grida.no
Observations of Climate Change from Indigenous Alaskans
St Mary's (Alaska) September 13 2011 -
Personal interviews with Alaska Natives in the Yukon River Basin provide unique insights on climate change and its impacts, helping develop adaptation strategies for these local communities. > www.usgs.gov: Observations of Climate Change from Indigenous Alaskans
Thawing permafrost could release vast amounts of carbon, accelerate climate change by the end of this century
Florida, June 21, 2011 -
Springtime, for most of us in northern temperate climes, is a welcome season of blooming plants, longer days, and warmer temperatures. But for Ted Schuur, an ecologist at the University of Florida, the season has different connotations. For Schuur, spring means a new season of exploration and adventure on the geographic and scientific frontier, where he is trying to answer a question of immense importance for our warming planet: How much carbon is being released by the thawing of the Arctic's so-called permafrost? > www.grist.org: Digging for permafrost in the Last Frontier
Shrinking tundra, advancing forests: How the Arctic will look by century's end
March 3, 2011 -
Imagine the vast, empty tundra in Alaska and Canada giving way to trees, shrubs and plants typical of more southerly climates. Imagine similar changes in large parts of Eastern Europe, northern Asia and Scandinavia, as needle-leaf and broadleaf forests push northward into areas once unable to support them. Imagine part of Greenland's ice cover, once thought permanent, receding and leaving new tundra in its wake. > www.physorg.com: Shrinking tundra, advancing forests: How the Arctic will look by century's end
Permafrost Melt Soon Irreversible Without Major Fossil Fuel Cuts
Canada's Permafrost Retreats Amid Warming Trend
Washington, 18 february 2010 -
The permanently frozen ground known as permafrost is retreating northward in the area around Canada's James Bay, a sign of a decades-long regional warming trend, a climate scientist said on Wednesday. > planetark.org: Canada's Permafrost Retreats Amid Warming Trend
Soil contributes to climate warming more than expected
(Physorg), February 9, 2010 -
The climatic warming will increase the carbon dioxide emissions from soil more than previously estimated. This is a mechanism that will significantly accelerate the climate change. Already now the carbon dioxide emissions from soil are ten times higher than the emissions of fossil carbon. A Finnish research group has proved that the present standard measurements underestimate the effect of climate warming on emissions from the soil. > www.physorg.com: Soil contributes to climate warming more than expected
Global Warming Threatens to Upset Arctic Carbon Trapping
Fairbanks (Ala), October 14 2009 -
The US Geological Survey, in partnership with the Ecological Society of America, University of Alaska Fairbanks published the results of a study on the changing climate and the important role that the Arctic plays in sequestering carbon.
The study shows that the arctic could potentially alter the Earth’s climate by becoming a possible source of global atmospheric carbon dioxide. The arctic now traps or absorbs up to 25 percent of this gas but climate change could alter that amount, according to a study published in the November issue of Ecological Monographs. > www.usgs.gov: Global Warming Threatens to Upset Arctic Carbon Trapping
Drowned tundra emits more carbon
Lakes seep over the Arctic tundra
Albuquerque, New Mexico August 3/4 2009 -
In the largest experiment of its kind to date, ecologists have found that the wetter the Arctic tundra becomes, the more carbon dioxide it gives off.
If the tundra becomes increasingly warm and wet — which is anticipated as global temperatures rise — it might emit more carbon than expected, the work suggests. > www.nature.com: Hotter Arctic Tundra Boosts Global Warming
Arctic Tundra Hotter, Boosts Global Warming: Expert
Light shaded tundra is replaced by darker shrubs causing a change in albedo, while absorbing more heat
Vancouver, July 31 2009 -
Regions of Arctic tundra around the world are heating up very rapidly, releasing more greenhouse gases than predicted and boosting the process of global warming, a leading expert said on Wednesday.
Professor Greg Henry of the University of British Columbia also said higher temperatures meant larger plants were starting to spread across the tundra, which is usually covered by small shrubs, grasses and lichen. The thicker plant cover means the region is getting darker and absorbing more heat.
Henry is chair of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX), a scientific network of experiments focusing on the impact of climate change on selected plant species in tundra and alpine vegetation.
Currently, research teams at more than two dozen circumpolar sites carry out similar, multi-year plant manipulation experiments that allow them to compare annual variation in plant performance with respect to phenological response to climate conditions. > planetark.org: Hotter Arctic Tundra Boosts Global Warming > canadianpress.com: Climate change doubles tundra plant life, boosting shrubs, grasses > www.geog.ubc.ca: More about ITEX
Permafrost melting a growing climate threat - study
Tundra on the north slope of the Alaska Range, Denali National Park.
Credit: Larissa Yocum. > Bigger size photo
Resarch Pioneer: Katey Walter captures methane rising from a thawing lake bottom in Alaska.
New York, June 2009 -
The melting Arctic is releasing vast quantities of methane. How big is this greenhouse threat? What can be done?
A young scientist with curly, reddish hair tucked beneath a knit cap stepped gingerly onto the three-day-old ice of a remote lake in northeastern Siberia. Coating the black depths like cellophane, the thin film held no promise to bear her weight, but a sudden dunk in the frigid water was a risk she had to take. Searching the lake by rickety rowboat all summer had failed, and any day winter’s first big snow would engulf the region, obscuring the lake’s surface until spring. She could not afford to wait that long..... > www.scientificamerican.com: The Arctic Thaw Could Make Global Warming Worse > www.sciencedaily.com: Methane Bubbling From Arctic Lakes, Now And At End Of Last Ice Age
New worries on Arctic permafrost thaw
Oslo, May 22 2009 -
A rise in concentrations of a powerful greenhouse gas over the Arctic after a decade of stability is stirring worries about a possible thaw of vast stores trapped in permafrost, experts said.
Levels of methane in the atmosphere rose 0.6 percent in 2008, according to preliminary data from the Zeppelin station on a remote island in the Norwegian Arctic, after a similar 0.6 percent gain in 2007, Norwegian officials said. www.guardian.co.uk: New worries on Arctic permafrost thaw www.reuters.com: Arctic methane rise spurs worry on permafrost thaw
Global warming may trigger carbon 'time bomb', scientist warns
Copenhagen, March 10 2009 -
Billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and methane could be released from thawing Arctic soils, says climate researcher. Even modest amounts of global warming could trigger a carbon "time bomb" and release massive amounts of greenhouse gases from frozen Arctic soils, a new study has warned. www.guardian.co.uk: Global warming may trigger carbon 'time bomb', scientist warns
Methane: A sleeping giant?
The average atmospheric concentration of methane shot up suddenly in 2007, having remained stable for a decade. Data shown are from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, courtesy of Matt Rigby.
London, March 5 2009 -
As the planet warms, vast stores of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — could be released from frozen deposits on land and under the ocean. www.nature.com / Methane: A sleeping giant?
Observations indicate a warming of permafrost regions across the Northern Hemisphere
Geneva, February 24 2009 --
The International Polar Year provides a unique opportunity to assess the global State and Fate of Permafrost on a Warming Planet. Recent observations indicate a warming of permafrost in many northern and mountain regions with resulting degradation of ice-rich and carbon-rich permafrost. Permafrost temperature has increased by 1 to 2°C in northern Russia during the last 30 to 35 years. This observed increase is very similar to what has been observed in Alaska where the detailed characteristic of the warming varies between locations, but is typically from 0.5 to 2°C. The last 30-years warming in permafrost temperatures observed in the Russian North and Alaska has resulted in thawing of natural, undisturbed permafrost in areas close to the southern boundary of the permafrost zone. Erosion of coastal permafrost showed signs of increase in many parts of the Arctic with rates doubling over a period of fifty years in some coastal areas of Alaska. www.ipy.org: Observations indicate a warming of permafrost regions across the Northern Hemisphere
Permafrost Is Thawing In Northern Sweden
Stockholm, February 19 2009 --
Areas with lowland permafrost are likely to shrink in northern Sweden. Warmer summers and more winter precipitation are two of the reasons. This is shown in a new dissertation from Lund University in Sweden. www.enn.com: Permafrost Is Thawing In Northern Sweden
All About Frozen Ground Web Site Released
This damaged building in Dawson City, Canada, shows what can happen when the warm interior of a building causes the permafrost underneath to thaw. Learn more about the importance of frozen ground on the All About Frozen Ground Web site. (Photo: www.nsidc.org)
Anchorage, (Al/US), December 10 2008 -
NSIDC's newest education offering, All About Frozen Ground, provides comprehensive information about the importance of frozen ground. Frozen ground and permafrost, or ground that stays frozen for at least two years, is key to our understanding of climate, frozen ground ecosystems, and the interaction between land and atmosphere. nsidc.org: All About Frozen Ground Web Site Released All About Frozen Ground Web site
Global-warming methane spiked in 2007
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology), October 30 2008 -
Levels of climate-warming methane - a greenhouse gas 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide - rose abruptly in Earth's atmosphere last year, and we don't know why. www.newscientist.com: Global-warming methane spiked in 2007
America's oldest ice discovered... then it melts
Anchorage, (Al/US), September 18 2008 -
Seen emerging from a mud cliff, the smooth, near-black surfaces look like a long-lost objects from some high-tech civilisation. In fact, they are huge chunks of ice – the oldest ice ever found in North America.
More than 750,000 years old, the wedges have survived through times when the planet was even warmer than it is today. Duane Froese of the University of Alberta in Canada and colleagues say their discovery could us predict the fate of the deep Arctic permafrost and its frozen methane stores. environment.newscientist.com: America's oldest ice discovered... then it melts
Thawing Permafrost Likely to Boost Global Warming
Washington, August 28, 2008 -
The thawing of permafrost in northern latitudes, which greatly increases microbial decomposition of carbon compounds in soil, will dominate other effects of warming in the region and could become a major force promoting the release of carbon dioxide and thus further warming, according to a new assessment in the September 2008 issue of BioScience. The study, by Edward A. G. Schuur of the University of Florida and an international team of coauthors, more than doubles previous estimates of the amount of carbon stored in the permafrost: the new figure is equivalent to twice the total amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The authors conclude that releases of the gas from melting permafrost could amount to roughly half those resulting from global land-use change during this century. www.aibs.org: Thawing Permafrost Likely to Boost Global Warming
Arctic thaw threatens Siberian permafrost
London, June 14 2008 -
The permafrost belt stretching across Siberia to Alaska and Canada could start melting three times faster than expected because of the speed at which Arctic Sea ice is disappearing.
A study found that the effects of sea-ice loss – which reached an all-time record last summer – extend almost 1,000 miles inland to areas where the ground is usually frozen all year round. www.independent.co.uk: Arctic thaw threatens Siberian permafrost More about Arctic thaw and Siberian permafrost
Permafrost Threatened by Rapid Retreat of Arctic Sea Ice, NCAR Study Finds
Boulder, June 10 2008 -
The rate of climate warming over northern Alaska, Canada, and Russia could more than triple during periods of rapid sea ice loss, according to a new study led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The findings raise concerns about the thawing of permafrost, or permanently frozen soil, and the potential consequences for sensitive ecosystems, human infrastructure, and the release of additional greenhouse gases. www.ucar.edu: Permafrost Threatened by Rapid Retreat of Arctic Sea Ice
Greenpeace Warns On Canada's Northern Forests
Vancouver (Ca), April 11, 2008 -
Greenpeace warned on Thursday that Canada's logging practices threaten to turn the country's vast northern forest into a source of global warming, but the forestry industry says it is already taking steps to fight climate change. www.planetark.com: Greenpeace Warns On Canada's Northern Forests
Warming climate may cause arctic tundra to burn
Bozeman, (US) March 7, 2008 -
Research from ancient sediment cores indicates that a warming climate could make the world’s arctic tundra far more susceptible to fires than previously thought. The findings, published this week in the online journal, PLoS ONE, are important given the potential for tundra fires to release organic carbon — which could add significantly to the amount of greenhouse gases already blamed for global warming. www.enn.com: Warming climate may cause arctic tundra to burn
Risk of permafrost thaw a "wild card" in warming: U.N.
Monaco, February 20, 2008 -
A thaw of Arctic permafrost is a "wild card" that could stoke global warming by releasing vast frozen stores of greenhouse gases, the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) said.
More research was urgently needed into the possibility of a runaway release of methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas trapped in frozen soils in Siberia, Canada, Alaska and Nordic nations, it said in a 2008 yearbook issued at 154-nation talks in Monaco. www.reuters.com: Risk of permafrost thaw a "wild card" in warming: U.N. www.unep.org: Breaking Down the Barriers to a Green Economy
Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming
Boulder, December, 2005 -
Large uncertainties in the budget of atmospheric methane, an important greenhouse gas, limit the accuracy of climate change projections1, 2. Thaw lakes in North Siberia are known to emit methane3, but the magnitude of these emissions remains uncertain because most methane is released through ebullition (bubbling), which is spatially and temporally variable. www.nature.com: Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming
Tipping Points in the Tundra
Madison, October, 2005 -
Environmental changes in the Arctic may be an early warning system for global climate change, and recent reports from the region are alarming. Several studies have indicated substantial declines in sea ice cover and earlier ice melting, which have led to the lowest level of sea ice in more than a century. And now there is evidence that the warming on the nearby continents may also be accelerating.
In his Perspective, Foley discusses results reported in the same issue by Chapin et al. that suggest that reductions in highly reflective snow cover and expanding shrub and tree cover, both caused by recent warming in the Arctic, are amplifying the temperature changes in the region.
Reduced snow cover and expanded shrubs and tress both act to absorb additional solar radiation (compared to highly reflective snow fields), warming the surface and the atmosphere above. Chapin et al. provide the best empirical evidence for this climate feedback mechanism to date; these results need to be more fully incorporated into models of future climate change. www.science.com / J. A. Foley: Tipping Points in the Tundra (Abstract)
www.science.com / F. S. Chapin et all: Role of Land-Surface Changes in Arctic Summer Warming www.heatisonline.org / J. A. Foley: Tipping Points in the Tundra (Full text)
www.heatisonline.org / F. S. Chapin et all: Role of Land-Surface Changes in Arctic Summer Warming (Full text)
