This microbe survey could tell us just how dangerous permafrost thaw is — and how to fight it

A population survey of microbes in Sweden’s permafrost will help scientists understand how much greenhouse gas thawing will release. And might yield tools to mitigate it.

Scientists have long understood that permafrost is potential source of large amounts of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that currently contributes to an estimated 25 percent of global warming. Most of that methane, however, comes from sources like agriculture and natural-gas production.