Researchers are studying methane emissions form arctic lakes and the effects of thawing permafrost and its correlation with climate change. One study describes the process by which organic material contained in the permafrost around a lake’s edge can enter the lake bottom when the permafrost melts. There, bacteria convert the organic material to methane, which then bubbles into the atmosphere. Although these methane hot spots can come from various sources, if large amounts of methane associated with melting permafrost are released into the atmosphere, the increase in atmospheric methane could have effects on global temperatures. Another study reiterates these concerns, stating that the Arctic’s role as a sink for carbon could be reversed due to global warming trends. Carbon from the atmosphere accumulates in the Arctic, and because of cold temperatures carbon trapped in permafrost and frozen soil does not decompose. An increase in temperature could result in exposure of more carbon to decomposition, and melting permafrost could result in the availability of more carbon to be decomposed. The temperature increase could also create a more watery environment, which would promote activity of methane producing bacteria. Because of methane’s effectiveness as a greenhouse gas, its release into the atmosphere has the potential to increase global warming.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070911092139.htm
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