Acid is leaching out of permafrost as it melts National Geographic Creative/Alamy Stock Photo

Some patches of Arctic permafrost are bleeding acid as they melt. The dribble of acid is destroying rocks and releasing more carbon dioxide into the air – but it’s not clear how much.

Permafrost is soil and sand that is permanently frozen. Climatologists have warned for years that Arctic permafrost is thawing due to climate change. This will transform the landscape, and release carbon that is locked away in the permafrost in the form of carbon dioxide and methane – adding to the greenhouse effect. …