By 2030, about 4.8 million square kilometers of permafrost area is expected to be thawed under a 1.5 degree Celsius warming scenario. Permafrost refers to land frozen continuously for a minimum of two years and as many as hundreds of thousands of years that store large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
Area of thawed permafrost worldwide by 2030, by warming scenario
(in million square kilometers)
Characteristic
Extent in million square kilometers
2°C
6.6
1.5°C
4.8
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Extent in million square kilometers1.5°C2°C
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Carbon Brief. (March 16, 2022). Area of thawed permafrost worldwide by 2030, by warming scenario (in million square kilometers) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 05, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296925/permafrost-thawing-area-by-warming-scenario/
Carbon Brief. "Area of thawed permafrost worldwide by 2030, by warming scenario (in million square kilometers)." Chart. March 16, 2022. Statista. Accessed May 05, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296925/permafrost-thawing-area-by-warming-scenario/
Carbon Brief. (2022). Area of thawed permafrost worldwide by 2030, by warming scenario (in million square kilometers). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 05, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296925/permafrost-thawing-area-by-warming-scenario/
Carbon Brief. "Area of Thawed Permafrost Worldwide by 2030, by Warming Scenario (in Million Square Kilometers)." Statista, Statista Inc., 16 Mar 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296925/permafrost-thawing-area-by-warming-scenario/
Carbon Brief, Area of thawed permafrost worldwide by 2030, by warming scenario (in million square kilometers) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296925/permafrost-thawing-area-by-warming-scenario/ (last visited May 05, 2025)
Area of thawed permafrost worldwide by 2030, by warming scenario (in million square kilometers) [Graph], Carbon Brief, March 16, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1296925/permafrost-thawing-area-by-warming-scenario/
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