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Melting 4 million km² in polar regions in 80 years is a serious threat to the future

About 4 million square kilometers of permafrost could be lost by 2100, even if climate change is curbed.

The estimate is the result of a search published this Tuesday (11) in the journal Nature Reviews.

The loss of this amount of soil, according to the study, can have serious consequences related to the release of large volumes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The Arctic region concentrates about half of the 30 million square kilometers of permafrost (frozen soil found in polar regions) present on the planet. This type of soil stores high amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂), approximately twice the amount present in the atmosphere.

Thus, the process of thawing permafrost — caused by the increase in temperatures in the Arctic, due to climate change — can release large volumes of CO₂, one of the gases responsible for the greenhouse effect, into the atmosphere. Between 2007 and 2016, the rise in permafrost temperature averaged 0.4°C.

The study also cites arctic fires as a concern, as they could increase by 130% to 350% by mid-century. These fires further accelerate the release of carbon from permafrost.

“More detailed monitoring, through aerial, on-site and satellite observations, will provide a deeper understanding of the Arctic’s future role as a carbon source and its subsequent impact on the Earth system,” reads an excerpt from the research.

Reference: CNN Brasil

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