Studies have shown the Arctic is warming roughly twice as fast as the rest of the world, and its soil holds twice the amount of carbon dioxide as the atmosphere.
Studies have shown the Arctic is warming roughly twice as fast as the rest of the world, and its soil holds twice the amount of carbon dioxide as the atmosphere. New research from San Diego State University finds that water from spring snowmelt infiltrates the soil and triggers fresh carbon dioxide production at higher rates than previously assumed.
This is in addition to trapped carbon escaping from the soil, which means an acceleration in warming that is not quite accounted for in current measurement techniques.
SDSU post-doctoral fellow Kyle Arndt and ecosystem ecologist Donatella Zona spent several years assessing the situation on the ground in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska and analyzing their findings once they returned to San Diego.
The cold season is an essential component of the annual carbon balance, and it was assumed to have a negligible impact on carbon production.
Read more at San Diego State University
Image: Ecosystem ecologist and post-doctoral fellow Kyle Arndt checking on the measurement equipment set up by SDSU in Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow), Alaska. CREDIT: San Diego State University
