Methane and nitrous oxide in arctic permafrost

It is expected that, in the future, increasing levels of methane, nitrous oxide, and the chlorofluorocarbons (chlorotrifluoromethane and dichlorodifluoromethane) will together add significantly to global warming; perhaps as much as increasing levels of carbon dioxide. The present concentrations of methane are about 2.5 times more than normal interglacial levels, and concentrations of nitrous oxide are about 8% higher than during interglacial periods. According to the authors current understanding, these changes are caused primarily by increasing emissions due to human activities. The arctic permafrost is a large reservoir of methane and possibly also of nitrous oxide. In the future, as the polar regions warm from increasing CO2 and trace gases, large quantities of methane and nitrous oxide may be released from the permafrost, causing a positive climatic feedback. The authors will show evidence for natural changes of CH4 and N2O during glacial and interglacial times. They will report their recent experimental results on the amount of methane and nitrous oxide in arctic permafrost and estimate the magnitude of the possible feedbacks