Ancient carbon discovered coming from Arctic soil

Scientists have published new evidence that old or even ancient carbon, pulled out of the atmosphere and stored in the bodies of plants hundreds or thousands of years ago, is being set loose again from soils in the Arctic region.

The discovery is a potentially worrying indicator that "permafrost"
soils may already be worsening the problem of climate change.

It's a potentially worrying indicator that these "permafrost" soils may already be worsening the problem of climate change. However, scientists are still debating just how much old carbon Arctic soils should release normally even without climate change, leaving the ultimate significance of the findings unclear.

Read Chris Mooney’s story in The Age - “Ancient carbon discovered coming from Arctic soil.”