Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Comment
  • Published:

Earth system models must include permafrost carbon processes

Nature Climate Change volume 14, pages 114–116 (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Accurate representation of permafrost carbon emissions is crucial for climate projections, yet current Earth system models inadequately represent permafrost carbon. Sustained funding opportunities are needed from government and private sectors for prioritized model development.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Model components and processes relevant to modelling permafrost carbon dynamics.

References

  1. Schuur, E. A. G. et al. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 47, 343–371 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. McGuire, A. D. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 115, 3882–3887 (2018).

    Article  ADS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Gasser, T. et al. Nat. Geosci. 11, 830–835 (2018).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Natali, S. M. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 118, e2100163118 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Burke, E. J., Zhang, Y. & Krinner, G. Cryosphere 14, 3155–3174 (2020).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Schädel, C. et al. Glob. Change Biol. 20, 641–652 (2014).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Olefeldt, D. et al. Earth Syst. Sci. Data 13, 5127–5149 (2021).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Virkkala, A.-M. et al. Earth Syst. Sci. Data 14, 179–208 (2022).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Turetsky, M. R. et al. Nat. Geosci. 13, 138–143 (2020).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Andresen, C. G. et al. Cryosphere 14, 445–459 (2020).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Wieder, W. R., Bonan, G. B. & Allison, S. D. Nat. Clim. Change 3, 909–912 (2013).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Holloway, J. E. et al. Permafr. Periglac. Process. 31, 371–382 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Painter, S. L. et al. Water Resour. Res. 52, 6062–6077 (2016).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Mekonnen, Z. A. et al. Environ. Res. Lett. 17, 094037 (2022).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  15. MacDougall, A. H., Avis, C. A. & Weaver, A. J. Nat. Geosci. 5, 719–721 (2012).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

C.S. and D.N.H. received funding from the US Department of Energy (DOE) grant DE-SC0022116. C.S., B.M.R., E.J., H.G. and S.M.N. received funding from Permafrost Pathways through the TED Audacious Project. C.D.K., W.J.R. and D.M.L. acknowledge support from the DOE RGMA Program via the RUBISCO SFA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Woodwell Climate Research Center, Falmouth, MA, USA

    Christina Schädel, Brendan M. Rogers, Elchin Jafarov & Susan M. Natali

  2. National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, USA

    David M. Lawrence

  3. Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Charles D. Koven & William J. Riley

  4. Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany

    Victor Brovkin

  5. Met Office Hadley Centre, Exeter, UK

    Eleanor J. Burke

  6. Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA

    Hélène Genet & A. David McGuire

  7. School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    Deborah N. Huntzinger

Authors
  1. Christina Schädel
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brendan M. Rogers
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David M. Lawrence
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Charles D. Koven
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Victor Brovkin
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Eleanor J. Burke
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hélène Genet
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Deborah N. Huntzinger
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Elchin Jafarov
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  10. A. David McGuire
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  11. William J. Riley
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Susan M. Natali
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

C.S. conceptualized the article, created Fig. 1 and wrote the initial draft. B.M.R., D.M.L. and C.D.K. contributed to the conceptualizing and writing of the paper. H.G., W.J.R. and S.M.N contributed to the conceptualizing and editing of the paper. All authors provided insights and edits to the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christina Schädel.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Peer review

Peer review information

Nature Climate Change thanks Andrew MacDougall, Jan Nitzbon and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schädel, C., Rogers, B.M., Lawrence, D.M. et al. Earth system models must include permafrost carbon processes. Nat. Clim. Chang. 14, 114–116 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01909-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Version of record:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01909-9

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology