被忽视的深层永冻土碳可能加剧变暖
In the cold northern regions, a frozen layer of soil called permafrost holds vast amounts of ancient carbon. This organic material has been locked away for millennia, but rising temperatures are now causing it to thaw. Permafrost contains roughly twice the carbon of the entire atmosphere. As it warms, microbes release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. This creates a feedback loop that worsens global warming.
在寒冷的北方地区，一层被称为永久冻土的冻结土壤层储存着大量的古代碳。这些有机物质已被封存了数千年，但气温上升正导致其融化。永久冻土所含的碳大约是大气中碳总量的两倍。随着温度升高，微生物会释放二氧化碳和甲烷等温室气体。这形成了一个加剧全球变暖的反馈循环。
Most climate models have focused only on the top few meters of permafrost. However, deep permafrost, which extends tens of meters underground, also stores significant carbon. This deeper layer has been largely ignored in previous studies. Recent observations show that even deep permafrost is starting to warm and release its carbon. This hidden carbon could dramatically alter our understanding of future warming.
大多数气候模型仅关注永久冻土的上层几米。然而，深入地下数十米的深层永久冻土也储存着大量碳。这一深层在过去研究中一直被忽视。最近的观测表明，即使是深层永久冻土也开始升温并释放碳。这种隐藏的碳可能会彻底改变我们对未来变暖的理解。
Inspired by Scientific American reporting · Rewritten by Vocabsavvy · Vocabsavvy Original (inspired-by attribution)