The Arctic is the site of impressive and concerning discoveries. Researchers have now taken a closer look at the effect of climate change on permafrost. In doing so, they encountered a problem.
Arctic: Ocean as a Spreading Machine
The study in question specifically involved an analysis of the influence of saltwater on permafrost. As most already know, salt is spread on the icy ground in winter to help get rid of frost and slippery roads. A similar process can occur with permafrost soil at the edge of the Arctic. However, scientists wanted to examine the extent of this as precisely as possible, as Bloomberg reports.
Permafrost soils, especially in Alaska, are almost at sea level, making them particularly vulnerable. If global sea levels rise, large portions of these soils can be submerged by the ocean’s saltwater. Researchers initially found that this not only leads to soil corrosion but also causes sparse vegetation to be torn out and washed away.
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This is Cause for Concern
This would further amplify the effect of global warming on the Arctic. As permafrost soils increasingly melt, vast amounts of CO2 are released. This is because the icy layer represents one of the world’s largest CO2 reservoirs, which would suddenly disappear. The consequences would be that global warming would be further accelerated by additional greenhouse gases.
A major problem for science in analyzing these soils is that it must start from scratch. One of the participating researchers, Jim McClelland, told Bloomberg that “we can’t waste a moment.” Research needs to progress quickly to understand the exact effect of global warming on Arctic soils. An adjustment of existing models for calculating climate consequences is then not only possible but very likely.
Source: Bloomberg
This article was originally published on futurezone.de / 4P.de and has been carefully translated.