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Arctic wildfires may be releasing carbon locked away for millennia
Key Takeaways
- Soil cores suggest some Arctic and boreal fires are burning carbon stored for up to 5,000 years.
- Researchers say current climate models do not account for this ancient carbon release.
- Slow smouldering of soil can emit both carbon dioxide and black carbon.
- The risk appears to increase toward the Arctic, where organic material lies closer to the surface.
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DT Editorial Team··via newscientist.com