Top Posts
NDDC, others push for climate change awareness in...
Heaviest monsoon in a decade kills 458 people...
Council releases first fully electric bin lorry
Report: A fifth of migratory species face extinction...
Stakeholders seek integration of climate change into national...
Study shows US asthma inhalers produce same emissions...
Report: Nigeria, others may lose $300 billion, 49m...
Pope Leo hits out at climate change critics
Nigeria insurers prepare to global delegates on climate...
Energy Dept. asks employees not to use words...
EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World
World

US agency says Arctic tundra is now emitting more carbon than it absorbs

by admineconai December 11, 2024
written by admineconai December 11, 2024
427

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said on Tuesday that the Arctic tundra is undergoing a dramatic transformation, driven by frequent wildfires that are turning it into a net source of carbon dioxide emissions after millennia of acting as a carbon sink.

According to reports, this drastic shift is detailed in Noaa’s 2024 Arctic Report Card, which revealed that annual surface air temperatures in the Arctic this year were the second-warmest on record since 1900.

“Our observations now show that the Arctic tundra, which is experiencing warming and increased wildfire, is now emitting more carbon than it stores, which will worsen climate change impacts,” said Rick Spinrad, a Noaa administrator.

The report, which was led by scientists from the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Falmouth, Massachusetts, found that the Arctic is warming faster than the global average for the 11th year in a row. The authors found that currently, it is warming at up to four times the global rate.

Read also: Thousands without power, train services disrupted after Storm Darragh in UK

Climate warming has dual effects on the Arctic. While it stimulates plant productivity and growth, which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, it also leads to increased surface air temperatures that cause permafrost to thaw.

When permafrost thaws, carbon trapped in the frozen soil is decomposed by microbes and released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and methane, two potent greenhouse gases.

“We need accurate, holistic and comprehensive knowledge of how climate changes will affect the amount of carbon the Arctic is taking up and storing, and how much it’s releasing back into the atmosphere, in order to effectively address this crisis,” said Dr Sue Natali, a scientist at the Woodwell Center who contributed to the research. “This report represents a critical step toward quantifying these emissions at scale.”

Human-caused climate change is also intensifying high-latitude wildfires, which have increased in burned area, intensity and associated carbon emissions.

Wildfires not only combust vegetation and soil organic matter, releasing carbon into the atmosphere, but they also strip away insulating soil layers, accelerating long-term permafrost thaw and its associated carbon emissions.

Story was adapted from the Guardian.

AgencyArctic tundraCarbonEmissionUS
0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
admineconai

previous post
Thousands without power, train services disrupted after Storm Darragh in UK
next post
Scientists: Cotton-and-squid-bone sponge can soak up 99.9% of microplastics

Related Posts

Heaviest monsoon in a decade kills 458 people...

October 9, 2025

Council releases first fully electric bin lorry

October 9, 2025

Study shows US asthma inhalers produce same emissions...

October 7, 2025

Pope Leo hits out at climate change critics

October 3, 2025

Protesters seek $5tr payment from fossil fuel companies

October 1, 2025

UN official says climate change displaces up to...

September 30, 2025

UN ends high-level week with calls for peace,...

September 30, 2025

China announces plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions...

September 25, 2025

China locks down as Super Typhoon Ragasa nears...

September 24, 2025

Trump says climate change ‘greatest con Job in...

September 24, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Bloglovin
  • Vimeo

@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Eco-Nai+

EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World