articleNature CommunicationsJan 10, 2019GOLD OA

Permafrost is warming at a global scale

BKBoris K. BiskabornSLSharon L. SmithJNJeannette NoetzliHMHeidrun MatthesGVGonçalo Vieira

Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung · Natural Resources Canada · +31 more institutions

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Abstract

Permafrost warming has the potential to amplify global climate change, because when frozen sediments thaw it unlocks soil organic carbon. Yet to date, no globally consistent assessment of permafrost temperature change has been compiled. Here we use a global data set of permafrost temperature time series from the Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost to evaluate temperature change across permafrost regions for the period since the International Polar Year (2007-2009). During the reference decade between 2007 and 2016, ground temperature near the depth of zero annual amplitude in the continuous permafrost zone increased by 0.39 ± 0.15 °C. Over the same period, discontinuous permafrost warmed by 0.20 ± 0.10…

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Topics & keywords

Topics
Keywords
  • Permafrost
  • Global warming
  • Scale (ratio)
  • Climate change
  • Environmental science
  • Physical geography
  • Climatology
  • Earth science
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