On the Rise: Siberian lakes—Major sources of methane

Recent warming in Siberia is liberating carbon that had been locked in the permafrost for millennia. Consequently, Siberian lakes are making a surprisingly large contribution to atmospheric methane, a planet-warming greenhouse gas, according to a new analysis of the methane bubbling from those lakes.

BUBBLING UP. Bacteria living in the sediments of Siberian lakes produce unexpectedly large quantities of methane, shown here trapped in winter ice.