title: Climate change and the permafrost carbon feedback.
abstract: Large quantities of organic carbon are stored in frozen soils (permafrost) within Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. A warming climate can induce environmental changes that accelerate the microbial breakdown of organic carbon and the release of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane. This feedback can accelerate climate change, but the magnitude and timing of greenhouse gas emission from these regions and their impact on climate change remain uncertain. Here we find that current evidence suggests a gradual and prolonged release of greenhouse gas emissions in a warming climate and present a research strategy with which to target poorly understood aspects of permafrost carbon dynamics.
authors: 1] Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA [2] Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
authors: E A G
authors: EA
authors: Schuur
authors: US Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska 99775, USA.
authors: A D
authors: AD
authors: McGuire
authors: 1] Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA [2] Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Schädel
authors: Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Grosse
authors: US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
authors: J W
authors: JW
authors: Harden
authors: Climate Change Science Institute and Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Hayes
authors: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Hugelius
authors: Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors: C D
authors: CD
authors: Koven
authors: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Kuhry
authors: National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado 80305, USA.
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Lawrence
authors: Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, Massachusetts 02540, USA.
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Natali
authors: 1] Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada [2] Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H1, Canada.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Olefeldt
authors: 1] Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775, USA [2] Tyumen State Oil and Gas University, Tyumen, Tyumen Oblast 625000, Russia.
authors: V E
authors: VE
authors: Romanovsky
authors: National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Schaefer
authors: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
authors: M R
authors: MR
authors: Turetsky
authors: Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire 03824, USA.
authors: C C
authors: CC
authors: Treat
authors: Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CD Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors: J E
authors: JE
authors: Vonk
mesh_terms: D001110:Arctic Regions; D057486:Carbon Cycle; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D057231:Climate Change; D005246:Feedback; D005615:Freezing; D008697:Methane / Q000032:analysis; D065946:Permafrost / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D035501:Uncertainty
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D008697:Methane