That leads to an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and an increased rate of warming in the Arctic in a self-reinforcing climate feedback loop that includes some unexpected factors. For example, increased coastal erosion carries more organic matter into the sea, where it breaks down and releases even more CO2.
About half of the carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion was absorbed by the oceans up until 1994. But as the amount of carbon dioxide in the oceans rises, their capacity to absorb the gas falls, and it remains in the atmosphere.
“The greenhouse gases raise the temperature of the Earth and this increase is particularly noticeable in the Arctic. It is even more pronounced in Siberia and its coastal seas," said marine chemistry researcher Iréne Wåhlström.
The increase in temperature has an impact on the environment in the Arctic - the cover of sea ice is lower, for example, and the supply of water from rivers increases, the permafrost thaws and the rate of coastal erosion increases.
“One consequence is that organic matter that has been stored in soil is carried to the seas, where it is partially broken down to carbon dioxide," Wåhlström said.
Wåhlström studied the Laptev Sea and the East Siberian Sea, working on a ship to collect extensive samples and in the lab to model the changes she observed. Read the full report here.
Source: by Bob Berwyn, Summit Voice, Summit County Citizens Voice.
