Prof. Jeremy Shakun co-authors new manuscript in Science Advances with former BC graduate student Biller-Celander and former EESC Prof. Corinne Wong

The article by Biller-Celander et al., entitled "Increasing Pleistocene permafrost persistence and carbon cycle conundrums inferred from Canadian speleothems", was recently published in Science Advances. The team of researchers present new uranium-thorium ages from speleothems, cave deposits that only accumulate with deep ground thaw, to reconstruct the permafrost history in western Canada during Pleistocene interglacial periods. The results of their study suggest that greenhouse gas concentrations were likely stable throughout the Pleistocene, and that permafrost thaw did not trigger substantial carbon release to the atmosphere or it was offset by carbon uptake elsewhere on glacial-interglacial time scales. To learn more about Prof. Shakun and his research, please visit his webpage.