Melting Arctic Permafrost Threatens to Release Massive Amounts of Methane

Scientists warn of a potential climate crisis as methane, a potent greenhouse gas, could escape from melting permafrost in the Arctic region.

Scientists have discovered that millions of cubic meters of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, are trapped beneath the permafrost in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean.
The methane can migrate and escape through the permafrost's cold seal, creating a warming cycle that could lead to a massive increase in methane emissions and climate change.
Permafrost is ground that remains frozen for at least two years and covers about 15% of the Earth’s land surface.
Methane is 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas over 100 years.
Permafrost is rapidly melting due to the warming climate, which means that vast amounts of methane could escape into the atmosphere.