As if the Siberian permafrost were a carbon bomb with its trigger hidden underwater, scientists discover that rivers and lakes are opening thawing pathways within the frozen ground and can release ancient methane from layers that climate models still cannot accurately see.

Written by Valdemar Medeiros

Published on 30/04/2026 at 17:23

Be the first to react!

2025 study shows that deep permafrost emits methane and CO₂ like the surface layers, potentially doubling ignored climate emissions.

According to the journal Nature Geoscience, a study published in January 2025 drilled 20 meters of sediment at the bottom of a thermokarst lake in the Arctic, an unprecedented depth for this type of environment, and revealed that the deep layers of permafrost produce methane and carbon dioxide in amounts comparable to the shallow layers.

This discovery contradicts a central assumption of global climate models, which considered that only the first meters of thawed soil contributed significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The study’s conclusion indicates that the total emission potential may be underestimated by up to two times.

Permafrost stores carbon equivalent to twice that of the atmosphere and its stability depends on the continuous freezing of the soil

Permafrost is defined as soil that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, although, in practice, in Arctic regions, it remains frozen for thousands of years.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Frozen organic matter in permafrost decomposes upon thawing and releases CO₂ and methane with high climate impact

When permafrost thaws, microorganisms become active again and begin decomposing the organic matter.

This process generates carbon dioxide in aerobic conditions and methane in anaerobic conditions. Methane is particularly relevant because it has a global warming potential about 80 times greater than CO₂ over a 20-year horizon.

The study highlights the role of thermokarst lakes as mechanisms for deep thawing. These lakes form when the ground collapses after the melting of underground ice, accumulating water on the surface.

Water transfers heat to the soil more efficiently than air, promoting the vertical thawing of permafrost.

Thermokarst taliks create deep thawed zones that can reach tens of meters below the surface

The heat from the lakes forms structures called taliks — regions of thawed soil within the permafrost.

These taliks can reach depths of 20, 30, or even hundreds of meters, depending on local conditions. Within these zones, decomposition occurs in an anaerobic environment, favoring methane production.

20-meter drilling allowed direct measurement of gas production in deep layers never analyzed

The study was the first to drill a complete sediment core up to 20 meters deep in a thermokarst lake.

Samples from each layer were incubated in the laboratory under anaerobic conditions to measure gas production. The results showed that the deep layers have significant biological activity.

Estudo de 2025 mostra que permafrost profundo emite metano e CO₂ como as camadas superficiais — 2025 study shows that deep permafrost emits methane and CO₂ like the surface layers

The measurements indicate that gas production in the deep layers is comparable to that of the surface layers. This suggests that climate models that consider only the active layer are underestimating total emissions.

Deep thawing occurs on a decadal scale, much faster than gradual thaw models predicted

The study showed that thawing beneath lakes can reach great depths in just a few decades. This process is significantly faster than gradual surface thawing.

Since 2014, giant craters have been appearing in Siberia. These formations are associated with the accumulation of methane gas under the permafrost and its explosive release.

Abrupt permafrost thaw is non-linear and difficult to represent in global climate models

Traditional climate models are based on gradual processes. Abrupt thawing, associated with lakes and fractures, occurs non-linearly and depends on local factors.

The Arctic has about 3.6 million lakes. A significant portion of them are over permafrost and contribute to deep thawing.

Watch the video

Lakes can expand or drain. When they drain, they expose sediments to oxygen, reducing methane and increasing CO₂.

Incorporating these emissions into models can increase warming projections. The new evidence indicates that the climate system may be underestimating one of its main risks.

In your view, do models need to be urgently revised, or are there still uncertainties that prevent more definitive conclusions?

0 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

As if the Siberian permafrost were a carbon bomb with its trigger hidden underwater, scientists discover that rivers and lakes are opening thawing pathways within the frozen ground and can release ancient methane from layers that climate models still cannot accurately see.

2025 study shows that deep permafrost emits methane and CO₂ like the surface layers, potentially doubling ignored climate emissions.

Permafrost stores carbon equivalent to twice that of the atmosphere and its stability depends on the continuous freezing of the soil

Frozen organic matter in permafrost decomposes upon thawing and releases CO₂ and methane with high climate impact

Thermokarst taliks create deep thawed zones that can reach tens of meters below the surface

20-meter drilling allowed direct measurement of gas production in deep layers never analyzed

Deep thawing occurs on a decadal scale, much faster than gradual thaw models predicted

Abrupt permafrost thaw is non-linear and difficult to represent in global climate models

In the cold desert of Ladakh, where it hardly rains, engineer Sonam Wangchuk created the ice stupa, a tower that freezes winter water and stores it for irrigating crops in the spring, a simple engineering feat that mimics nature.

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Almost 6,000 residents live concentrated along a single street nearly 9 km long in the interior of Poland. Houses form a continuous row, and behind them, narrow agricultural strips emerge, creating one of the most unusual rural patterns in Europe.

Chinese woman planted trees for decades while sand buried part of her house, received $5,000 from an American in 1999, and helped transform the desert into a forest of 8 million trees in China.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

Described by astronauts as one of the most unlikely natural phenomena on Earth, the Okavango Delta spreads over up to 15,000 square kilometers in the middle of the desert and transforms Botswana into a living labyrinth of channels, islands, and flooded areas.

Two helicopters, 41 people, and over 38 tons of bait were mobilized on a remote Pacific atoll to eliminate rats; five years later, native trees grew by 5,000%, seabirds gained habitat, and the rainforest began to regenerate.

Two new 300cc models from QJ Motor are expected to arrive in Brazil as SBM to target the CB 300F and shake up the low-displacement market, with more power and liquid cooling than Honda.

Federal Police involved in the case to identify the person responsible for hacking the Civil Defense system, which sent ten false alerts, frightened residents of different capitals, and turned messages about real risks into notifications with “misanthropy” and even alien attacks.

Extreme drought causes ghost village to reappear at the bottom of the reservoir that supplies Athens, revealing houses, a school, and ruins swallowed since the 1980s as the lake shrinks and exposes the water crisis threatening the capital of Greece.

Camaro may reappear in 2027, but not as you remember: Chevrolet prepares the return of the icon with four doors, manual transmission, and an extreme performance version to face the new era of sports cars.

In Virginia, a family of small-scale farmers refused to swap the countryside for the city and transformed their milk production into award-winning artisanal cheese from Mantiqueira de Minas.

As if the Siberian permafrost were a carbon bomb with its trigger hidden underwater, scientists discover that rivers and lakes are opening thawing pathways within the frozen ground and can release ancient methane from layers that climate models still cannot accurately see.

2025 study shows that deep permafrost emits methane and CO₂ like the surface layers, potentially doubling ignored climate emissions.

Permafrost stores carbon equivalent to twice that of the atmosphere and its stability depends on the continuous freezing of the soil

Frozen organic matter in permafrost decomposes upon thawing and releases CO₂ and methane with high climate impact

Thermokarst taliks create deep thawed zones that can reach tens of meters below the surface

20-meter drilling allowed direct measurement of gas production in deep layers never analyzed

Deep thawing occurs on a decadal scale, much faster than gradual thaw models predicted

Abrupt permafrost thaw is non-linear and difficult to represent in global climate models

In the cold desert of Ladakh, where it hardly rains, engineer Sonam Wangchuk created the ice stupa, a tower that freezes winter water and stores it for irrigating crops in the spring, a simple engineering feat that mimics nature.

Libya built over 4,000 kilometers of underground pipelines to bring water from the Sahara to coastal cities in a project that the government itself called the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Almost 6,000 residents live concentrated along a single street nearly 9 km long in the interior of Poland. Houses form a continuous row, and behind them, narrow agricultural strips emerge, creating one of the most unusual rural patterns in Europe.

Chinese woman planted trees for decades while sand buried part of her house, received $5,000 from an American in 1999, and helped transform the desert into a forest of 8 million trees in China.

Desert sand, previously discarded for being too smooth for concrete, becomes an ecological brick in the United Arab Emirates, dispensing with Portland cement, curing at room temperature, and attempting to transform dunes useless for construction into raw material for a new arid engineering.

Described by astronauts as one of the most unlikely natural phenomena on Earth, the Okavango Delta spreads over up to 15,000 square kilometers in the middle of the desert and transforms Botswana into a living labyrinth of channels, islands, and flooded areas.

Two helicopters, 41 people, and over 38 tons of bait were mobilized on a remote Pacific atoll to eliminate rats; five years later, native trees grew by 5,000%, seabirds gained habitat, and the rainforest began to regenerate.

Space technology used to search for water on Mars is now hunting for invisible leaks under the streets of São Paulo, using satellites, AI, and chlorine signals to help Sabesp recover up to 6.7 billion liters of water.

Japan sends ship to extract mud rich in rare earths at nearly 6,000 meters deep in the Pacific, attempts to lift 350 tons per day from the seabed, and transforms sediments near Minamitori Island into a strategic weapon to reduce dependence on China.

Venus Aerospace promises a rotating detonation hypersonic engine that takes the Stargazer to Mach 9 and crosses oceans in 1 hour, but the flight that made history barely surpassed the speed of sound.

Brazilian student creates a cheap formula that makes plants grow up to 90% faster and wins an award in a global scientific competition.

Europe unveils armored tank with remote turret, 1,500 horsepower, and 120-millimeter cannon

Two new 300cc models from QJ Motor are expected to arrive in Brazil as SBM to target the CB 300F and shake up the low-displacement market, with more power and liquid cooling than Honda.

Federal Police involved in the case to identify the person responsible for hacking the Civil Defense system, which sent ten false alerts, frightened residents of different capitals, and turned messages about real risks into notifications with “misanthropy” and even alien attacks.

Extreme drought causes ghost village to reappear at the bottom of the reservoir that supplies Athens, revealing houses, a school, and ruins swallowed since the 1980s as the lake shrinks and exposes the water crisis threatening the capital of Greece.

Camaro may reappear in 2027, but not as you remember: Chevrolet prepares the return of the icon with four doors, manual transmission, and an extreme performance version to face the new era of sports cars.

In Virginia, a family of small-scale farmers refused to swap the countryside for the city and transformed their milk production into award-winning artisanal cheese from Mantiqueira de Minas.