Biological Sciences Division
Newsmakers

April 2015

Janet Jansson Featured on NPR's Science Friday

Janet Jansson

Dr. Janet Jansson at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory spoke with Ira Flatow on National Public Radio's Science Friday on April 10, 2015, about how permafrost thaw is changing our environment. As temperatures warm, microbes in the permafrost become more active and decompose carbon in the permafrost soil. The permafrost has a large reservoir of carbon available, about twice as much as resides in the atmosphere. In worst-case scenarios, climate change could lead the microbes to release large amounts of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Understanding the impacts of climate change on biological systems is a key part of Jansson's research.