Arctic Tundra Now a Carbon Emission Source, Says NOAA
The Tundra region is warming at alarming rates, affecting wildlife and local communities.
These once-natural carbon sinks are now a source of carbon emissions due to human-induced climate change.
The Arctic tundra, which used to trap carbon dioxide (CO2) in its frozen soil, has transformed into a source of carbon emissions, notes a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) study.
The Arctic region is warming at a faster pace, coupled with increased wildfires, releasing stored CO2 into the atmosphere. The report says that the tundra has turned from a carbon sink (storing carbon) to a carbon source (releasing carbon), adding to climate change.
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Temperatures continue to break records worldwide, with the last nine years being the warmest on record. In 2023 and 2024, the summers and autumns were especially warm, with northern regions like Alaska and Canada experiencing extreme heatwaves. This has also increased the number of wildfires, contributing to higher carbon emissions.
The repercussions are also taking a heavy toll on wildlife. The reindeer, or caribou, population has declined significantly in the Arctic. The inland herds have been the most affected, while their coastal counterparts are showing some signs of recovery.
“Our observations now show that the Arctic tundra, which is experiencing warming and increased wildfire, is now emitting more carbon than it stores, which will worsen climate change impacts,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “This is yet one more sign, predicted by scientists, of the consequences of inadequately reducing fossil fuel pollution.”
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According to the study, the snow season was the shortest in 26 years, with snow accumulation during the 2023-2024 winter being above average. The earlier melting of snow in spring is affecting wildlife and the environment. Even worse, Arctic sea ice is decreasing rapidly while sea temperatures are increasing in some areas.
The Arctic is also a major source of methane gas emissions. Permafrost temperatures continue to rise, notes the report. Thawing permafrost—the process in which the ice in the permanently frozen ground of the Arctic and other cold regions melts, leaving behind water and soil—releases more carbon and methane into the atmosphere.
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“This year’s report demonstrates the urgent need for adaptation as climate conditions quickly change,” said Twila Moon, lead editor of the Arctic Report Card and deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. “Indigenous Knowledge and community-led research programs can inform successful responses to rapid Arctic changes.”
Human-induced climate change is affecting plankton blooms, which support fisheries and ecosystems and fix carbon at the base of the food chain. In 2024, lower-than-average blooms were reported in many areas. Meanwhile, ice seal diets are shifting due to climate crisis, although their population is reported to be healthy for the time being.
The local communities, including Indigenous peoples, are bearing the brunt of something they are not responsible for. The study concludes that their livelihoods in the region are massively affected by temperature change.
“Many of the Arctic’s vital signs that we track are either setting or flirting with record-high or record-low values nearly every year," said Gerald (J.J.) Frost, senior scientist with Alaska Biological Research, Inc. and veteran Arctic Report Card author. "This is an indication that recent extreme years are the result of long-term, persistent changes, and not the result of variability in the climate system.”
To study more about the report, click here.
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Source: NOAA
