Scientists from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have just certified a change in the Arctic that may affect to the global climate. After storing carbon dioxide in frozen soil for millennia, the Arctic tundra has begun emitting these greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, released by frequent wildfires and rising temperatures. It means the Arctic has become another source of carbon dioxide for the first time.
“Our observations show that the Arctic tundra, which is experiencing warming and increased wildfires, is now is emitting more carbon than it storeswhich will worsen the impact of climate change,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad.
Specifically, the study is based on observations on the average emissions registered between 2001 and 2020and scientists for now do not know if the change will be permanent. “There is definitely inter-annual variability,” report co-author Brendan Rogers said during a press conference, AFP reports. While boreal forests further south still serve as carbon sinks, northern regions are of greater concern. “What I’m reporting here is the average condition we’ve seen over a 20-year period.”
Role change
The question is key. Until now the Arctic has played a key role in the global climate in that it was able to ‘smooth out’ the global rise in temperatures as it is able to store carbon dioxide in the frozen ground. The problem is that, now, its global balance has begun to go in the opposite direction: emits extra CO2 to which the burning of fossil fuels already contributes, so it could accelerate global warming or counteract efforts to reduce global emissions.
This has occurred through two processes. On the one hand, rising air temperatures have been contributing to the thawing of permafrost (permanently frozen ground), which has released CO2 and methane trapped in the soil. On the other hand, the increase in temperatures has also favored forest fires.
Since 2003, emissions from circumpolar wildfires have emitted about 207 million tons of carbon per year on average, according to NOAA.
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