Arctic Permafrost Thaw Releases Methane, Accelerating Global Warming

The Arctic is warming at roughly four times the global average, rapidly thawing permafrost that has locked away plant and animal remains for thousands of years. Researchers observed bubbling methane vents in Alaska’s Smith Lake and documented large surface depressions called slumps that form when ice melts and the ground collapses. These releases add significant amounts of methane and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, potentially delivering an extra 0.25 °C of warming by the end of the century, according to two recent studies.

Experts warn that this feedback could undermine climate-mitigation efforts and destabilize infrastructure built on formerly solid ground. The phenomenon also threatens the stability of mountains and structures in high-latitude regions, as seen in recent landslides linked to permafrost loss.