ENVIRONMENT INTEL Arctic Permafrost Thaw Accelerating Carbon Release Cycle Arctic permafrost contains roughly 1,700 gigatons of frozen carbon—twice the amount currently in the atmosphere. As temperatures rise 2-3x faster than global average (Arctic amplification), thawed permafrost releases methane and CO2, creating a positive feedback loop that intensifies warming independent of human emissions. This matters because once triggered, permafrost carbon release becomes self-sustaining; models suggest 5-15% of permafrost carbon could mobilize by 2100, potentially adding 0.13-0.27°C of warming beyond current climate projections. This transforms permafrost from a stable carbon sink into an active source, fundamentally altering climate trajectory assumptions in long-term planning and infrastructure investments globally.