Scientists have discovered a massive and alarming source of laughing gas known as Yedoma, a type of permafrost that impacts the warming of our planet.
According to Science Alert, researchers studied the Lena and Kolyma river regions in Northeast Siberia and found that when permafrost melts along the water’s edge, it releases nitrous oxide at levels 10 to 100 times higher than what is typically released when permafrost melts in other areas.
Siberia – (Photo: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC).
Nitrous oxide, with the chemical formula N2O, also known as laughing gas, is one of the greenhouse gases contributing to the warming of our planet.
This alarming type of permafrost is called Yedoma, a distinctive form of permafrost found in Siberia. “The high ice content of Yedoma makes it prone to sudden melting and collapse, allowing for the rapid mobilization of carbon and nitrogen reserves in the soil after the ice melts,” explained the research team led by environmental scientist Maija Marushchak from the University of Eastern Finland.
Laughing gas is primarily produced by microorganisms in the soil. Although it is not as abundant as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, its impact on temperature is significantly greater: it is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a warming agent over a 100-year period.
As Yedoma melts, it increases the population of microorganisms that produce N2O while the population that consumes N2O diminishes, altering the nitrogen cycle.
This phenomenon is largely a result of human activity. Previously, the Yedoma layer was hidden beneath conventional permafrost. Global warming, driven primarily by human actions, has caused Yedoma to gradually surface, exacerbating the situation.
The study was recently published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
