A new study from the University of Gothenburg suggests that thawing permafrost may have been responsible for nearly half of the atmospheric carbon dioxide increase as Earth emerged from the last Ice Age. Researchers estimate that northern hemisphere land areas above 23.5 degrees latitude released massive amounts of stored carbon when temperatures rose, challenging the long-held view that oceans were the primary driver of past CO2 changes. The findings highlight how frozen ground can act as a major carbon reservoir, with organic matter accumulating over thousands of years under cold conditions. As modern permafrost regions continue to thaw due to climate change, the study raises important questions about whether similar large-scale carbon releases could occur today, potentially accelerating global warming through a powerful feedback loop.
