Vulnerability and Feedbacks of Permafrost to Climate Change

Abstract

The effects of permafrost degradation on terrestrial and offshore environments in polar regions and on the Earth's atmosphere are significant. Field‐based observations, remote sensing, and modeling document regional warming and thawing of permafrost. However, major research questions regarding vulnerability of permafrost to thawing, the projected decline in permafrost extent during coming decades, resulting ecosystem feedbacks, and the possibly global consequences to climate change due to remobilization of carbon pools from thawing permafrost still require answers.