Permafrost

A Terrific New Crisis

Permafrost is the always-frozen ground that underlies much of Alaska. Starting just a few feet below the surface and extending tens or even hundreds of feet down, it contains vast amounts of carbon in organic matter -- plants that took carbon dioxide from the atmosphere centuries ago, died and froze before they could decompose. Worldwide, permafrost is thought to contain about twice as much carbon as is currently in the atmosphere. If this ancient organic material thaws, microbes convert some of it to carbon dioxide and methane, which can flow into the atmosphere and cause even more warming.
So global warming will result in higher ground temperature which will thaw the permafrost which will free organisms to digest the organic matter which will release more CO2 into the atmosphere which will raise the ground temperature which.....