Vast Amount of Arctic Carbon Could Be Released

As global warming thaws the frozen soils of the Arctic, more stored-up carbon could potentially be released into the atmosphere than previously thought, a new study suggests.

Much of the frigid Arctic's soil is permafrost, or permanently frozen ground.

Seasonal freeze-thaw cycles can mix up the soil layers, a process called cryoturbation, forcing organic (carbon-based) material into the subsurface layers and storing it in the permafrost.