How Much Carbon Will Peatlands Lose as Permafrost Thaws?
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 7 June 2021
A new model shows peatlands’ future carbon balance varies by site. Some thawing areas will emit carbon, others will store more, but overall <5% will be lost. Most emissions come from the active layer, not deep permafrost.
Keywords: active layer, carbon storage, thawing, simulation, Canada, vegetation, Journal of Geophysical Research
Heincke Expedition searches for Microplastics
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 10 June 2021
An 11-member team aboard RV Heincke studies microplastics in the North Atlantic as part of the FACTS project, focusing on their sources, transport, and impact from the North Sea to the Barents Sea.
Keywords: North Sea, Barents Sea, plastic pollution, marine research, vertical transport, ocean currents, expedition
Oldest permafrost in Siberia discovered
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 15 June 2021
Researchers have dated Siberia’s oldest permafrost near Batagay to 650,000 years. While it’s survived past warm periods, surface disturbances have triggered rapid thawing, raising concerns about irreversible climate-driven permafrost loss.
Keywords: Quaternary Research, carbon release, dating methods, luminescence, isotope analysis, methane, greenhouse gases, Leverhulme Trust
