The development of the Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database (NCSCD) was initiated by the Carbon Pools in Permafrost Regions project (CAPP) under the auspices of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) because of the need to assess the carbon pools in these permafrost regions. The purpose of this database is to facilitate the estimation of these organic carbon pools in the northern hemisphere. Some of the data for the NCSCD database will be derived from the existing Northern and Mid Latitudes Database, but two new tables, which include the soil and carbon information necessary to calculate soil organic carbon content (SOCC) and masses (SOCM), will be added. These values will be calculated for each soil in each polygon for depths of 0–30 cm, 0–100 cm and 0-200 cm, including all perennially frozen and unfrozen soils in the various permafrost regions. This SOCC dataset also can beused to estimate the amount of important trace gases, such as carbon dioxide or methane, released and for validation of regional and global carbon models. Soil data in the NCSCD will be derived from soil data available for the various countries. This data will require careful correlation because the data generated by the various countries is often obtained using different standards and methods. Special attention will be paid to peatlands (organic soils), which are widespread in the area and contain large amounts of organic carbon that is sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Preliminary estimates indicate that the soil area of the northern circumpolar permafrost region is 18.3 million square kilometers and that Gelisols cover approximately 42% of this soil area. The soil organic carbon mass contained in the 0–100 cm depth of this area is approximately 455 Gt (about 20% of the total global soil carbon), with Gelisols containing about 60% of the carbon mass in these northern regions. Global circulation models predict that the highest temperature increases will occur in these northern regions, with expected increases in soil organic matter decomposition and carbon dioxide levels. The magnitude of these effects is currently unknown. In order to obtain more accurate estimates of the global carbon budget, new data must be acquired.