Honors College Thesis
 

Freeze-thaw cycles in permafrost soils and their impacts on the climate: A literature review

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/cv43p4252

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  • Climate change is occurring at an increasingly rapid rate, with impacts heightened in the cold regions of the world including the Arctic. Warming effects are widespread, with one impacted process – freeze-thaw cycles – increasing in frequency and potentially triggering additional changes in permafrost soils that have previously acted as carbon sinks. Increasing freeze-thaw cycles due to rising average temperatures are stimulating microbial activity in these soils, decomposing carbon and releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The release of greenhouse gases creates a positive feedback loop as temperatures rise with climate change where permafrost experiences more warming and freeze-thaw cycles, releasing more greenhouse gases, and thereby contributing to climate change. This literature review provides information about microbial activity, as well as the greenhouse gas emissions, from permafrost soils that have undergone freeze-thaw cycles. The overarching goal of this review is to compile the most relevant literature on freeze-thaw cycles in permafrost soils to better consider the future changes we are likely to see as climate change continues to take place. These changes include variations in season length, ability of vegetation and plants to continue to grow in affected regions, and threats to human health and safety, all of which point to the importance of considering permafrost in climate change discussions.
  • Key Words: Permafrost, soil, climate change, freeze-thaw cycles, microbial communities, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, future impacts.
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