Thawing Permafrost Is Full of Ice-Forming Particles That Could Get Into Atmosphere
By Jessie Creamean and Thomas Hill
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
The Big Idea
<p>Permafrost – frozen soil in the far north – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2010EO260001" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">is thawing</a>, <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/arctic-thawing-ground-releasing-shocking-amount-dangerous-gases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">releasing greenhouse gases</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/01/24/575974220/are-there-zombie-viruses-in-the-thawing-permafrost" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">long-lost microbes</a>. But one thing that scientists have not studied extensively is whether permafrost contains certain kinds of particles that could affect clouds and weather.</p><p>As <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SDZfxGQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">atmospheric</a> <a href="http://chem.atmos.colostate.edu/k_members.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scientists</a>, we found in a recent study that thawing permafrost contains lots of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab87d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">microscopic ice-nucleating particles</a>. These particles make it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_nucleus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">easier for water droplets to freeze</a>; and if the ones in permafrost get airborne, they could affect Arctic clouds.</p><p>In the summer of 2018, one of us, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SDZfxGQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank">Jessie Creamean</a>, went to Fairbanks, Alaska, and collected samples of permafrost from a research tunnel deep underground. These samples ranged from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab87d3" target="_blank">18,000 to 30,000 years old</a>, and our team tested them to see how many ice-nucleating particles are hiding in permafrost.</p><p>It turns out permafrost <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab87d3" target="_blank">contains a ton of them</a> – up to 100 million highly active individual particles per gram of mostly dead microbes and pieces of plants. This density is on par with what is found in fertile soils, which are some of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106197" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most concentrated sources of ice-nucleating particles on Earth</a>. Everywhere in the world, ice-nucleating particles typically play a major role in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-16-0006.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cloud behavior</a>, and the strength of that effect is still being studied.</p>This 18,000-year-old permafrost sample contains millions of ice-nucleating particles per gram. Thomas Hill / CC BY-ND
Why It Matters
<p>No one yet knows whether ice-nucleating particles from permafrost are getting into the atmosphere and affecting clouds. But the theory of how ice-nucleating particles change clouds is understood.</p><p>Clouds are made up of billions of tiny <a href="https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/clouds/how-clouds-form" target="_blank">water droplets or ice crystals</a>, often a mix of both. A cloud is like a forest of trees: All water droplets of the cloud require a seed – a tiny aerosol particle – to form and grow on. Almost any little speck of material from the land or the ocean can be the seed of a liquid cloud droplet. Because of their unique ability to line up water molecules into an icelike grid, they help supercooled liquid in a cloud to freeze at warmer temperatures.</p><p>Ice-nucleating particles are extremely good at <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/ice-nuclei" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">forming small ice crystals</a> – a rare skill found in less than <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0910818107" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">1 in a million of all the particles</a> floating around in the air. Ice-nucleating particles can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-9067-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mineral dust from deserts</a>, specks of <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-7195-2016" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">soil from farm fields</a> or – like what we found in the permafrost – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-16-0006.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bacteria</a> and bits of biological material from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083039" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oceans</a> or plants.</p><p>The ability to easily form ice has big consequences for clouds and weather.</p><p>Most of the time, airborne water droplets need to freeze before they can fall to the ground as snow or rain. Ice-nucleating particles allow cloud ice to form at warmer air temperatures than normal, up to around 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Without these particles, a water droplet can supercool to about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/AMSMONOGRAPHS-D-16-0006.1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">negative 36 F before freezing</a>. When ice-nucleating particles are in a cloud, water droplets freeze more easily. This can cause the cloud to rain or snow and disappear earlier, and reflect less sunlight.</p>As permafrost thaws, ice-nucleating particles are getting into rivers, lakes and eventually the ocean. National Park Service / C.Ciancibelli / Wikimedia Commons
What Still Isn’t Known
<p>Our work found there are a lot of these ice-nucleating particles in thawing permafrost, which is important because permafrost covers <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/sotc/permafrost.html" target="_blank">24% of the exposed land surface in the Northern Hemisphere</a>. The question now is whether these particles are getting into the atmosphere or not. No other researchers that we're aware of have looked at permafrost's effect on cloud formation, or the mechanisms by which ice-nucleating particles from permafrost become airborne.</p><p>We hypothesize that ice-nucleating particles from thawing permafrost could get into lakes and rivers, make their way to coastal Arctic Ocean waters and spread over large areas. Then, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/113/21/5797" target="_blank">winds could eject these ice-nucleating particles into the air</a>, where they could enhance the freezing of clouds and affect weather.</p><p>There are still many unknowns and a lot of work to do.</p>What’s Next
<p>This summer, we are teaming up with colleagues from the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Fairbanks and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, to set out for a six-week expedition to the Alaskan Arctic tundra. We will collect hundreds of samples of permafrost, lake water, river water, coastal ocean water and air samples to see whether ice-nucleating particles from permafrost are present, and in what amounts. Our goal is to use these findings in models to predict how thawing permafrost could alter the region's clouds.</p><p><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessie-creamean-1193582" target="_blank">Jessie Creamean</a> is a research scientist at Colorado State University. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-hill-1115169" target="_blank">Thomas Hill</a> is a research scientist at Colorado State University.</em></p><p><em>Disclosure statement: Jessie Creamean receives funding for this work from the National Science Foundation (Award OPP-1946657). Thomas Hill receives funding for this work from the National Science Foundation (Award OPP-1946657).</em></p><p><em></em><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/thawing-permafrost-is-full-of-ice-forming-particles-that-could-get-into-atmosphere-152736" target="_blank" style="">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>- Horses Might Stop the Permafrost From Melting - EcoWatch ›
- Methane Meltdown: Thawing Permafrost Could Release More ... ›
- Arctic's Melting Permafrost Will Cost Nearly $70 Trillion, Study Finds ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
Are We Really Past the Point of No Return on Climate? Scientists Respond To Controversial New Study
A controversial new climate study has found that, even if greenhouse gas emissions were halted tomorrow, it might not be enough to stop temperatures from continuing to rise.
- Slashing U.S. Meat Consumption by Half Could Cut Diet-Related ... ›
- Large U.S. Homes Create Bigger Carbon Footprint, New Study Shows ›
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Set for Record Decline Due to ... ›
- Study Finds New Reason to Ban Plastic: It Emits Methane in the Sun ... ›
- Could a 'Digital Twin of Earth’ Help Scientists Predict the Future of Climate Change? - EcoWatch ›
Like many other plant-based foods and products, CBD oil is one dietary supplement where "organic" labels are very important to consumers. However, there are little to no regulations within the hemp industry when it comes to deeming a product as organic, which makes it increasingly difficult for shoppers to find the best CBD oil products available on the market.
Spruce
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjI3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTM2NzgzOX0.axY0HjeqRctJsR_KmDLctzDpUBLBN-oNIdqaXDb4caQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="774be" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8379f35b1ca8a86d0e61b7d4bfc8b46e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="spruce organic cbd oil" data-width="710" data-height="959" /><p>As one of the best brands in the business, Spruce CBD is well-known for its potent CBD oils that feature many additional beneficial phytocannabinoids. This brand works with two family-owned, sustainably focused farms in the USA (one located in Kentucky and one in North Carolina) to create its organic, small product batches. The max potency Spruce CBD oil contains 2400mg of full-spectrum CBD extract, but the brand also offers a lower strength tincture with 750mg of CBD in total.</p>CBDistillery
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjkzNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTU4OTM4Nn0.ypRdeDSBcE87slYrFfVrRwtJ2qGIK6FD5jBB4pndTMo/img.jpg?width=980" id="b473b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9930b53c9d58cb49774640a61c3e3e75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="cbdistillery cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>All of the products from CBDistillery are <a href="https://ushempauthority.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">U.S. Hemp Authority Certified</a>, and for good reason. The company only uses non-GMO and pesticide-free industrial hemp that's grown organically on Colorado farms. Its hemp oils are some of the most affordable CBD products on the market, yet they still maintain a high standard of quality. CBDistillery has a wide variety of CBD potencies across its product line (ranging from 500mg to 5000mg per bottle) and offers both full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oils to give customers a completely thc-free option.</p>FAB CBD
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDIwOTEyMn0.MlTjz096FJ0ev_-soK7_Z-FeQeJczWoeh9Qi9SSkHsY/img.jpg?width=980" id="04b26" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76aa4862f44603242e318982acea6646" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="fab cbd oil" data-width="800" data-height="800" /><p>For an organic CBD oil that has it all, FAB CBD offers plenty of variety for any type of consumer. All of its products are made with zero pesticides and extracted from organically grown Colorado industrial hemp. FAB CBD oil comes in five all-natural flavors (mint, vanilla, berry, citrus, and natural) and is also available in four strengths (300, 600, 1200, and 2400mg per bottle).</p>NuLeaf Naturals
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NjIxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzExNTgyMX0.D6qMGYllKTsVhEkQ-L_GzpDHVu60a-tJKcio7M1Ssmc/img.jpg?width=980" id="94e4a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3609a52479675730893a45a82a03c71d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="nuleaf naturals organic cbd oil" data-width="600" data-height="600" /><p>As an industry-leading brand, it comes as no surprise that NuLeaf Naturals sources its CBD extract from organic hemp plants grown on licensed farms in Colorado. The comany's CBD oils only contain two ingredients: USDA certified organic hemp seed oil and full spectrum hemp extract.</p><p>NuLeaf Naturals uses one proprietary CBD oil formula for all of its products, so you will get the same CBD potency in each tincture (60mg per mL), but can purchase different bottle sizes depending on how much you intend to use.</p>Charlotte's Web
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwMjk3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQ0NjM4N30.SaQ85SK10-MWjN3PwHo2RqpiUBdjhD0IRnHKTqKaU7Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="84700" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a2174067dcc0c4094be25b3472ce08c8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="charlottes web cbd oil" data-width="1244" data-height="1244" /><p>Perhaps one of the most well-known brands in the CBD landscape, Charlotte's Web has been growing sustainable hemp plants for several years. The company is currently in the process of achieving official USDA Organic Certification, but it already practices organic and sustainable cultivation techniques to enhance the overall health of the soil and the hemp plants themselves, which creates some of the highest quality CBD extracts. Charlotte's Web offers CBD oils in a range of different concentration options, and some even come in a few flavor options such as chocolate mint, orange blossom, and lemon twist.</p>- Best CBD Oils of 2020: Reviews & Buying Guide - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Oil for Pain Management - Top 10 CBD Oil Review 2020 ... ›
- Best CBD for Dogs 2020 - Organic CBD Oil for Pets - EcoWatch ›
- Full Spectrum CBD Oil: What To Know - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Waters: Plus All You Need to Know - EcoWatch ›
- The Best Water Soluble CBD Available Online - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD for Sleep (Lab-Tested, Person-Tested Oils) - EcoWatch ›
- Strongest CBD Oils to Buy in 2021? - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Oils For Pain: Top 3 Brands of 2021 - EcoWatch ›
- 8 Science-Based Benefits of CBD Oil - EcoWatch ›
- Best CBD Vape Pen: Top Brands of 2020 - EcoWatch ›
- Because Price Matters: Most Affordable CBD Oils of 2021 - EcoWatch ›
Arctic Wildfires Are Changing, With Big Implications for the Global Climate
The wildfires that ignited in the Arctic this year started earlier and emitted more carbon dioxide than ever before.
- Climate Crisis Could Change Permafrost Soil Microbes, With ... ›
- Zombie Fires Could Be Awakening in the Arctic - EcoWatch ›
- The Arctic Is on Fire and Warming Twice as Fast as the Rest of the ... ›
- The Arctic Is Drastically Changing Due to Climate Change: Watch New Video From NOAA - EcoWatch ›
Trending
Climate Crisis Could Change Permafrost Soil Microbes, With ‘Unknown Consequences’ for Arctic Ecosystems, Scientists Say
Can the past predict the future?
In the case of communities of microbes living in the Arctic permafrost, researchers at the University of Alberta think it might. The scientists discovered that the microbes and chemistry of Arctic soil changed dramatically following the end of the last Ice Age, and the same thing could happen again due to the climate crisis.
A block of thawing permafrost topples off the Alaska coast. U.S. Geological Survey
- Arctic Laughing Gas Emissions Could Accelerate Global Warming ... ›
- Warming Tropical Soil Emits Unexpectedly Large Amounts of CO2 ... ›
- Warming Tropical Soil Emits Unexpectedly Large Amounts of CO2 ... ›
- Methane Meltdown: Thawing Permafrost Could Release More ... ›
- Arctic Wildfires Are Changing, With Big Implications for the Global Climate - EcoWatch ›
Warming Tropical Soil Emits Unexpectedly Large Amounts of CO2, New Study Finds
One of the concerns about a warming planet is the feedback loop that will emerge. That is, as the planet warms, it will melt permafrost, which will release trapped carbon and lead to more warming and more melting. Now, a new study has shown that the feedback loop won't only happen in the nether regions of the north and south, but in the tropics as well, according to a new paper in Nature.
- Amazon Deforestation Is Causing 20% of Forests to Release More ... ›
- World's Oceans Warming 40% Faster Than Previously Thought ... ›
- Earth Is Hurtling Towards a Catastrophe Worse Than the Dinosaur ... ›
- Climate Crisis Could Change Permafrost Soil Microbes, With ‘Unknown Consequences’ for Arctic Ecosystems, Scientists Say - EcoWatch ›
A 21,000 tonne (approximately 23,000 U.S. ton) oil spill that prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to declare an emergency last week has now reached a pristine Arctic lake, and there are concerns it could contaminate the Arctic Ocean.
Environmentalists and local officials have raised alarms about the disaster, which they say is the worst of its kind in the Russian Arctic, according to BBC News. So far, the oil has spread 12 miles from the initial spill site, a fuel tank that collapsed May 29.
"The fuel has got into Pyasino as well. This is a beautiful lake about 70 kilometres (45 miles) long. Naturally, it has both fish and a good biosphere," Krasnoyarsk region governor Alexander Uss told Interfax news agency Tuesday, as AFP reported.
A catastrophe is taking place right before our eyes. The diesel spill in Norilsk has become the first accident of such a scale in the Arctic. 20 thousand tonnes of diesel fuel have been spilled in local rivers. pic.twitter.com/PXEXkTuACE
— Greenpeace Russia (@greenpeaceru) June 4, 2020
Lake Pyasino flows into the Pyasina river, which in turn flows into the Arctic Ocean's Kara Sea, BBC News explained.
Greenpeace Russia director Vladimir Chuprov told AFP it would be a "disaster" if 10,000 tonnes (approximately 11,000 U.S. tons) of fuel or more had reached the lake. He said he feared it would reach the Kara Sea as well, which would have "harmful consequences."
Uss, however, was committed to preventing that from happening.
"Now it's important to prevent it from getting into the Pyasina river, which flows north. That should be possible," he said, as BBC News reported.
The news that the spill had reached the lake came a week after a spokeswoman for the team in charge of cleanup efforts told AFP the spill had been contained.
But regional officials told a different story.
"We can see a large concentration of diluted oil products beyond the booms," Krasnoyarsk region deputy environment minister Yulia Gumenyuk said, according to BBC News.
Norilsk Nickel, the company that ultimately owns the power plant where the tank collapsed, denied that any oil had reached the lake.
"Our samples at the Pyasino Lake show 0.0 percent contamination results," Sergei Dyachenko, the company's first vice-president and chief operating officer, said in a Tuesday video conference reported by AFP.
He also said it was unlikely the fuel would reach the ocean.
"The distance from Pyasino Lake to the Kara Sea is more than 5,000 kilometres (approximately 3,107 miles)," he said.
The spill has also contaminated rivers and soil. So far, cleanup efforts have removed 812,000 cubic feet of contaminated dirt, according to BBC News.
"[The spill] will have a negative effect on the water resources, on the animals that drink that water, on the plants growing on the banks," Vasily Yablokov of Greenpeace Russia said, according to BBC News.
The polluted Ambarnaya and Daldykan rivers may take ten years to clean, The Guardian reported.
Norilsk Nickel has said the collapse that caused the spill was probably due to melting permafrost, but environmental groups have accused the company of using the climate crisis to downplay its own culpability.
"It's an attempt to write off Nornickel's failure in risk management and ecological safety on the fashionable topic of climate change," Alexey Knizhnikov of the World Wildlife Fund told The Guardian. "The main factor is mismanagement."
Greenpeace said it had reported on the threat posed by thawing permafrost to oil and gas infrastructure in the fast-warning Russian Arctic as far back as 2009. But Dyachenko said in a conference call Tuesday that the company had not been monitoring the permafrost before the accident.
"It's not possible that the company did not know about [thawing permafrost], but it is possible that the company used a dangerous facility irresponsibly," Greenpeace Russia's Yablokov told The Guardian.
- 20000 Ton Oil Spill in Russian Arctic Has 'Catastrophic ... ›
- 15,000 Gallon Oil Spill Threatens River and Drinking Water in Native Alaskan Village - EcoWatch ›
- Philippine Oil Spill Threatens Recovering Mangrove Forests - EcoWatch ›
- Oil Spill Disasters: How to Limit Environmental Damage - EcoWatch ›
- Mauritius Rushes to Contain Oil Spill Before Ship Breaks Apart ›
- Unexplained Eco-Disaster in Russia Kills Scores of Marine Life - EcoWatch ›
- Israeli Oil Spill Is a 'Severe Ecological Disaster’ ›
20,000 Ton Oil Spill in Russian Arctic Has 'Catastrophic Consequences' for Wildlife
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared an emergency after 20,000 tons of diesel fuel spilled into a river in the Arctic Circle.
- Oil Companies Were Not Held Accountable for 10.8 Million Gallons ... ›
- Unexplained Eco-Disaster in Russia Kills Scores of Marine Life - EcoWatch ›
- Researchers Warn of Massive Oil Spill if Urgent Action Not Taken - EcoWatch ›
Trending
Releasing Herds of Animals Into the Arctic Could Help Fight Climate Change, Study Finds
By Jeff Berardelli
Herds of horses, bison and reindeer could play a significant part in saving the world from an acceleration in global heating. That is the conclusion of a recent study showing how grazing herbivores can slow down the pace of thawing permafrost in the Arctic.
- Researchers Warn Arctic Has Entered 'Unprecedented State' That ... ›
- The Past 5 Years Were the Arctic's Warmest on Record - EcoWatch ›
- A Siberian Town Just Hit 100 F Degrees - EcoWatch ›
Arctic winters are meant to be frigid, but because of rising temperatures and climate change, they aren't cold enough. The permafrost, the thick subsurface layer of frozen soil that stores one of the world's largest natural reserves of carbon, is thawing. As it does, it releases potent greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change. European scientists have now found that resettling massive herds of large herbivores could combat this effect and save up to 80 percent of all permafrost soils around the globe until 2100.
- Ozone-Depleting Substances May Have Driven Arctic Warming ... ›
- Arctic Permafrost Is Melting so Fast, It's Gouging Holes in the ... ›
- Rewilding the Arctic Could Slow the Climate Crisis - EcoWatch ›
- Kicking Up Controversy With Wild Horses in the West - EcoWatch ›
- Thawing Permafrost Is Full of Ice-Forming Particles That Could Get Into Atmosphere - EcoWatch ›
Trending
Current estimates of carbon emissions from melting Arctic permafrost rely on a model of a gradual melt. New research has found abrupt thawing of permafrost which means carbon emissions estimates should be doubled. The rate at which permafrost is thawing in the Arctic is gouging holes in the landscape, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
- 'Doomsday' Seed Vault Flooded After Arctic Permafrost Melts ... ›
- Arctic's Melting Permafrost Will Cost Nearly $70 Trillion, Study Finds ›
- Rapid Melting of Arctic Permafrost Shocks Scientists - EcoWatch ›
An international team of scientists says a new way of extracting methane gas trapped in permafrost has the potential to harvest more gas while burning fewer fossil fuels in the extraction process, as Newsweek reported.
- China's Methane Emissions Rise Despite Tougher Laws, Satellite ... ›
- Oil Companies in Alaska Refreeze Melting Permafrost to Keep Drilling ›
- Methane Meltdown: Thawing Permafrost Could Release More ... ›
The Canadian Arctic is raising alarm bells for climate scientists. The permafrost there is thawing 70 years earlier than expected, a research team discovered, according to Reuters. It is the latest indication that the global climate crisis is ramping up faster than expected.