ClimateWire: In addition to being a warming hot spot, the Arctic plays a pivotal role in the movement of carbon between atmosphere, land and sea.
But the degree to which Arctic regions are a carbon sink, versus a source of greenhouse gas, is still a matter of debate. Permafrost holds vast amounts of carbon long stored in cold conditions, for example, but scientists are trying to pinpoint the pace at which the carbon will be released into the atmosphere because of thawing of frozen soil.
Similarly, there...