Ancient Ice Find Cools Warming Fears

Canadians find chunk of permafrost that survived steamier climates
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 19, 2008 6:41 AM CDT
Ancient Ice Find Cools Warming Fears
Vast amounts of carbon are locked in the permafrost that covers much of the Northern Hemisphere.   (KRT Photos)

Canadian scientists have found the oldest chunk of ice in North America, the Globe and Mail reports, a discovery that suggests the earth’s carbon-laden permafrost may be more resistant to global warming than once thought. The 700,000-year-old chunk of Yukon ice has stayed frozen through two ancient, hotter times, which might mean a slower melt than feared for the permafrost that covers a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere’s land mass.

“There is a certain stubbornness to permafrost,” one researcher notes. Scientists warn that the discovery is no cause for complacency on climate change, but will be a valuable tool in predicting what to expect as the world heats up. Melting permafrost can cause sinkholes and significant land erosion, posing a serious threat to people living in the far north. It's “a glue that holds the Arctic together,” a student on the project adds.
(More Canada stories.)

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