Story perspectives

Thawing Permafrost: Dormant Microbes Could Boost CO2 Emissions

11/23/2025

Summary

Story summary

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) studied microbes in deep permafrost near Fairbanks, Alaska.
Caltech researchers found dormant microbes can reactivate and release carbon dioxide after thawing.
Initially, microbial activity lagged as communities reorganized into biofilms by six months.
Longer warm seasons from climate change may accelerate this process, requiring precise tracking of microbial activity and gas emissions.
The study is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

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Story summary

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) studied microbes in deep permafrost near Fairbanks, Alaska.
Caltech researchers found dormant microbes can reactivate and release carbon dioxide after thawing.
Initially, microbial activity lagged as communities reorganized into biofilms by six months.
Longer warm seasons from climate change may accelerate this process, requiring precise tracking of microbial activity and gas emissions.
The study is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.