Thawing permafrost spells risks for warming planet
Uncertainty is the worry! New understandings may just now be coming from the Japanese IBUKI Satellite (via Google), launched in 2009, with first published data Oct. 29, 2011. The objective is to monitor the "flux" of CO2 and methane around the earth. I believe "flux" means the addition or depletion of GHG at any location and time which changes the concentration in the overlying atmosphere. It is so startling to see the impact of the boreal forest in reducing CO2 during its short growing season. The forested areas reduce CO2 by 10% or about 30 ppm in a few short months. The range is currently 390 ppm down to 360 ppm. On the other hand, tropical areas see little or no impact, as the vigorous plant growth is apparently matched by an equal vegetation rot!
Boreal forests are the land-part of the "lungs of the earth". Perhaps the absorption of the sun's energy by photosynthesis is more effective than the reflection back to space by ice and snow cover? As the permafrost thaws, the boreal forest is expanding north. Which effect will predominate?
(I hope this gets submitted this third time around, as I kept clicking on the giant "Add your opinion" icon and my message just disappeared! Then I found the dinky little "Submit" button!)
