Articles | Volume 12, issue 14
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4317-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-4317-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Jul 2015
Research article |
| 24 Jul 2015
Thermokarst lake methanogenesis along a complete talik profile
J. K. Heslop
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
K. M. Walter Anthony
Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
A. Sepulveda-Jauregui
Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
K. Martinez-Cruz
Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Cinvestav, Mexico City, Mexico
Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
A. Bondurant
Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
G. Grosse
Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
now at: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Potsdam, Germany
M. C. Jones
US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, USA
Related authors
Maxime Thomas, Julien Fouché, Hugues Titeux, Charlotte Morelle, Nathan Bemelmans, Melissa J. Lafrenière, Joanne K. Heslop, and Sophie Opfergelt
SOIL, 12, 633–664, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines organic carbon (OC)–mineral interactions in permafrost soils undergoing thermokarst degradation in Cape Bounty (Melville Island, Canada). Chemically stabilized OC accounts for 13 ± 5 % as organo-metallic complexes and 6 ± 2 % as associations with iron oxides. Including physical protection, up to 64 ± 10 % of OC is mineral-protected. Deeper layers show a sharp decline in mineral-bound OC, suggesting increased vulnerability to degradation when exposed by deep thaw features.
Anna-Maria Virkkala, Isabel Wargowsky, Judith Vogt, McKenzie A. Kuhn, Simran Madaan, Tiffany Windholz, Kyle A. Arndt, Gerard Rocher-Ros, Mathias Göckede, David Olefeldt, Edward A. G. Schuur, David Bastviken, Richard O'Keefe, Brendan M. Rogers, Jennifer D. Watts, Kelcy Kent, Kristoffer Aalstad, Kelly Aho, Joonatan Ala-Könni, Haley Alcock, Inge Althuizen, Christopher D. Arp, Jun Asanuma, Mika Aurela, Sivakiruthika Balathandayuthabani, Katrin Attermeyer, Alan Barr, Maialen Barret, Ochirbat Batkhishig, Christina Biasi, Mats P. Björkman, Andrew Black, Elena Blanc-Betes, Pascal Bodmer, Julia Boike, Abdullah Bolek, Frédéric Bouchard, Ingeborg Bussmann, Lea Cabrol, Eleonora Canfora, Sean Carey, Karel Castro-Morales, Namyi Chae, Andreas Christen, Torben R. Christensen, Casper T. Christiansen, Housen Chu, Graham Clark, Francois Clayer, Patrick Crill, Christopher Cunada, Scott J. Davidson, Joshua F. Dean, Sigrid Dengel, Matteo Detto, Catherine Dieleman, Florent Domine, Egor Dyukarev, Colin Edgar, Bo Elberling, Craig A. Emmerton, Eugenie Euskirchen, Grant Falvo, Thomas Friborg, Michelle Garneau, Mariasilvia Giamberini, Mikhail V. Glagolev, Miquel A. Gonzalez-Meler, Gustaf Granath, Jón Guðmundsson, Konsta Happonen, Yoshinobu Harazono, Lorna Harris, Josh Hashemi, Nicholas Hasson, Janna Heerah, Liam Heffernan, Manuel Helbig, Warren Helgason, Michal Heliasz, Greg Henry, Geert Hensgens, Tetsuya Hiyama, Beth Holmes, Macall Hock, David Holl, Jutta Holst, Thomas Holst, Gabriel Hould-Gosselin, Elyn Humphreys, Jacqueline Hung, Jussi Huotari, Hiroki Ikawa, Danil V. Ilyasov, Mamoru Ishikawa, Go Iwahana, Hiroki Iwata, Marcin Antoni Jackowicz-Korczynski, Joachim Jansen, Järvi Järveoja, Vincent E. J. Jassey, Rasmus Jensen, Katharina Jentzsch, Robert G. Jespersen, Carl-Fredrik Johannesson, Cheristy P. Jones, Anders Jonsson, Ji Young Jung, Sari Juutinen, Evan Kane, Jan Karlsson, Sergey Karsanaev, Kuno Kasak, Julia Kelly, Kasha Kempton, Marcus Klaus, George W. Kling, Natascha Kljun, Jacqueline Knutson, Hideki Kobayashi, John Kochendorfer, Kukka-Maaria Kohonen, Pasi Kolari, Mika Korkiakoski, Aino Korrensalo, Pirkko Kortelainen, Egle Koster, Kajar Koster, Ayumi Kotani, Praveena Krishnan, Juliya Kurbatova, Lars Kutzbach, Min Jung Kwon, Ethan D. Kyzivat, Jessica Lagroix, Theodore Langhorst, Elena Lapshina, Tuula Larmola, Klaus S. Larsen, Isabelle Laurion, Justin Ledman, Hanna Lee, A. Joshua Leffler, Lance Lesack, Anders Lindroth, David Lipson, Annalea Lohila, Efrén López-Blanco, Vincent L. St. Louis, Erik Lundin, Miska Luoto, Takashi Machimura, Marta Magnani, Avni Malhotra, Marja Maljanen, Ivan Mammarella, Elisa Männistö, Luca Belelli Marchesini, Phil Marsh, Pertti J. Martikainen, Maija E. Marushchak, Mikhail Mastepanov, Alex Mavrovic, Trofim Maximov, Christina Minions, Daniel F. Nadeau, Marco Montemayor, Tomoaki Morishita, Patrick Murphy, Erin Nicholls, Mats B. Nilsson, Anastasia Niyazova, Jenni Nordén, Koffi Dodji Noumonvi, Hannu Nykänen, Walter Oechel, Anne Ojala, Tomohiro Okadera, Sujan Pal, Alexey V. Panov, Tim Papakyriakou, Dario Papale, Sang-Jong Park, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Gilberto Pastorello, Mike Peacock, Matthias Peichl, Roman Petrov, Kyra St. Pierre, Norbert Pirk, Jessica Plein, Vilmantas Preskienis, Anatoly Prokushkin, Jukka Pumpanen, Hilary A. Rains, Niklas Rakos, Aleksi Räsänen, Helena Rautakoski, Riikka Rinnan, Janne Rinne, Adrian Rocha, Nigel Roulet, Alexandre Roy, Anna Rutgersson, Aleksandr F. Sabrekov, Torsten Sachs, Erik Sahlée, Alejandro Salazar, Henrique Oliveira Sawakuchi, Christopher Schulze, Roger Seco, Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui, Svetlana Serikova, Abbey Serrone, Hanna M. Silvennoinen, Sofie Sjogersten, June Skeeter, Jo Snöälv, Sebastian Sobek, Oliver Sonnentag, Emily H. Stanley, Maria Strack, Lena Strom, Patrick Sullivan, Ryan Sullivan, Anna Sytiuk, Torbern Tagesson, Pierre Taillardat, Julie Talbot, Suzanne E. Tank, Mario Tenuta, Irina Terenteva, Frederic Thalasso, Antoine Thiboult, Halldor Thorgeirsson, Fenix Garcia Tigreros, Margaret Torn, Amy Townsend-Small, Claire Treat, Alain Tremblay, Carlo Trotta, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Merritt Turetsky, Masahito Ueyama, Muhammad Umair, Aki Vähä, Lona van Delden, Maarten van Hardenbroek, Andrej Varlagin, Ruth K. Varner, Tarmo Virtanen, Elena Veretennikova, Timo Vesala, Carolina Voigt, Jorien E. Vonk, Robert Wagner, Katey Walter Anthony, Qinxue Wang, Masataka Watanabe, Hailey Webb, Jeffrey M. Welker, Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen, Sebastian Westermann, Jeffrey R. White, Christian Wille, Scott N. Williamson, Scott Zolkos, Donatella Zona, and Susan M. Natali
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 6357–6409, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6357-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-6357-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
This dataset includes monthly measurements of carbon dioxide and methane exchange between land, water, and the atmosphere from over 1000 sites in Arctic and boreal regions. It combines measurements from a variety of ecosystems, including wetlands, forests, tundra, lakes, and rivers, gathered by over 260 researchers from 1984–2024. This dataset can be used to improve and reduce uncertainty in carbon budgets in order to strengthen our understanding of climate feedbacks in a warming world.
Annabeth McCall, Martin Hieronymi, P. Paul Overduin, Lisa Bröder, Julie Lattaud, Rüdiger Röttgers, Irina Overeem, Anne Morgenstern, Guido Grosse, and Bennet Juhls
Biogeosciences, 23, 5921–5942, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5921-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-5921-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines how carbon and sediments move from the Mackenzie River, through its delta, and into the Beaufort Sea. We use data from 2009–2024 and show that major changes in carbon concentrations unfold in low-salinity mixing zones. As the optical properties of the water also shift, satellite estimates of carbon will require more tailored methods. These findings will improve our understanding of Arctic carbon fluxes and influences on the greater Arctic Ocean carbon budget.
Carl Stadie, Ingmar Nitze, Begüm Demir, Martin Stefan Brandt, and Guido Grosse
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4074, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4074, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Earth Observation (EO).
Short summary
Short summary
Driftwood piles up along Arctic coasts, storing carbon and shaping habitats, but mapping it automatically is difficult. We compared three artificial intelligence models on aerial photos and satellite images, repeating each test many times to capture natural training variation. Image resolution mattered far more than which model was used, and testing only once, as is common, gave misleading results. Our approach offers a more reliable way to choose mapping tools for similar Arctic features.
Fabian Seemann, Michael Zech, Maren Jenrich, Guido Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones, Claire Treat, Lutz Schirrmeister, Susanne Liebner, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences, 23, 3675–3695, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3675-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3675-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Arctic coastal landscapes, like those in northernmost Alaska, are often characterized by saline permafrost which is prone to thawing. We studied six sediment cores to understand how thawing and salinity affect organic matter breakdown and landscape change. Our results show that salinity accelerates organic matter degradation when permafrost thaws. This highlights the overlooked risk of salinity in shaping Arctic landscapes and carbon mineralization as the climate continues to warm.
Maxime Thomas, Julien Fouché, Hugues Titeux, Charlotte Morelle, Nathan Bemelmans, Melissa J. Lafrenière, Joanne K. Heslop, and Sophie Opfergelt
SOIL, 12, 633–664, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines organic carbon (OC)–mineral interactions in permafrost soils undergoing thermokarst degradation in Cape Bounty (Melville Island, Canada). Chemically stabilized OC accounts for 13 ± 5 % as organo-metallic complexes and 6 ± 2 % as associations with iron oxides. Including physical protection, up to 64 ± 10 % of OC is mineral-protected. Deeper layers show a sharp decline in mineral-bound OC, suggesting increased vulnerability to degradation when exposed by deep thaw features.
Hailey Webb, Ethan Pierce, Benjamin W. Abbott, William B. Bowden, Yaping Chen, Yating Chen, Thomas A. Douglas, Joel F. Eklof, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Moritz Langer, Isla H. Myers-Smith, Irina Overeem, Jens Strauss, Katey Walter Anthony, Kang Wang, Matthew A. Whitley, and Merritt R. Turetsky
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 18, 3147–3164, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-3147-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-3147-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
We created a database of 19,540 thawing permafrost sites across Alaska, including both abrupt and non-abrupt thaw features and explored relationships with elevation, slope, and incoming solar radiation. We use the database to show that existing ground ice maps are too coarse to predict abrupt thaw risk. This database can enhance predictions of future thaw and guide planning and adaptation strategies.
Constanze Reinken, Victor Brovkin, Philipp de Vrese, Ingmar Nitze, Helena Bergstedt, and Guido Grosse
The Cryosphere, 20, 1967–1995, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1967-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-1967-2026, 2026
Short summary
Short summary
Thermokarst lakes are dynamic features of ice-rich permafrost landscapes, altering energy, water and carbon cycles, but have so far mostly been modeled on site-level scale. A deterministic modelling approach would be challenging on larger scales due to the lack of extensive high-resolution data of sub-surface conditions. We therefore develop a conceptual stochastic model of thermokarst lake dynamics that treats the involved processes as probabilistic.
Yarden Gerera, André Pellerin, Efrat Eliani Russak, Katey Walter Anthony, Nicholas Hasson, Yoav Oved Rosenberg, and Orit Sivan
Biogeosciences, 22, 7901–7914, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-7901-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-7901-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Thermokarst lakes have formed over thousands of years from permafrost thaw in the Arctic. Here, we quantify the change in methane production rates as thermokarst lakes evolve through an incubation-based approach of measuring and comparing methane production rates and organic carbon lability between a more mature thermokarst lake and a young dynamic thermokarst lake. We also show the use of the Rock-Eval analysis of organic carbon along the sediments as a proxy for organic susceptibility for methanogenesis.
Nina Nesterova, Ilia Tarasevich, Marina Leibman, Artem Khomutov, Alexander Kizyakov, Ingmar Nitze, and Guido Grosse
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 5707–5727, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5707-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-5707-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We created the first detailed map of retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) landforms across a large area of the West Siberian Arctic. RTSs are key features of abrupt permafrost thaw accelerated by climate change. Using satellite images and field data, we identified and classified over 6000 RTSs. This dataset helps scientists better understand how warming is changing Arctic landscapes and provides a trusted reference for training artificial intelligence to detect these landforms in the future.
Lutz Schirrmeister, Margret C. Fuchs, Thomas Opel, Andrei Andreev, Frank Kienast, Andrea Schneider, Larisa Nazarova, Larisa Frolova, Svetlana Kuzmina, Tatiana Kuznetsova, Vladimir Tumskoy, Heidrun Matthes, Gerrit Lohmann, Guido Grosse, Viktor Kunitsky, Hanno Meyer, Heike H. Zimmermann, Ulrike Herzschuh, Thomas Böhmer, Stuart Umbo, Sevi Modestou, Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach, Anfisa Pismeniuk, Georg Schwamborn, Stephanie Kusch, and Sebastian Wetterich
Clim. Past, 21, 1143–1184, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1143-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1143-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Geochronological, cryolithological, paleoecological, and modeling data reconstruct the Last Interglacial (LIG) climate around the New Siberian Islands and reveal significantly warmer conditions compared to today. The critical challenges in predicting future ecosystem responses lie in the fact that the land–ocean distribution during the LIG was markedly different from today, affecting the degree of continentality, which played a major role in modulating climate and ecosystem dynamics.
Frieda P. Giest, Maren Jenrich, Guido Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones, Kai Mangelsdorf, Torben Windirsch, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences, 22, 2871–2887, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2871-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2871-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Climate warming causes permafrost to thaw, releasing greenhouse gases and affecting ecosystems. We studied sediments from Arctic coastal landscapes, including land, lakes, lagoons, and the ocean, finding that organic carbon storage and quality vary with landscape features and saltwater influence. Freshwater and land areas store more carbon, while saltwater reduces its quality. These findings improve predictions of Arctic responses to climate change and their impact on global carbon cycling.
Simeon Lisovski, Alexandra Runge, Iuliia Shevtsova, Nele Landgraf, Anne Morgenstern, Ronald Reagan Okoth, Matthias Fuchs, Nikolay Lashchinskiy, Carl Stadie, Alison Beamish, Ulrike Herzschuh, Guido Grosse, and Birgit Heim
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 1707–1730, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1707-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1707-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Lena Delta is the largest river delta in the Arctic and represents a biodiversity hotspot. Here, we describe multiple field datasets and a detailed habitat classification map for the Lena Delta. We present context and methods of these openly available datasets and show how they can improve our understanding of the rapidly changing Arctic tundra system.
Maren Jenrich, Juliane Wolter, Susanne Liebner, Christian Knoblauch, Guido Grosse, Fiona Giebeler, Dustin Whalen, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences, 22, 2069–2086, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2069-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-2069-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Climate warming in the Arctic is causing the erosion of permafrost coasts and the transformation of permafrost lakes into lagoons. To understand how this affects greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, we studied carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) production in lagoons with varying sea connections. Younger lagoons produce more CH₄, while CO₂ increases under more marine conditions. Flooding of permafrost lowlands due to rising sea levels may lead to higher GHG emissions from Arctic coasts in future.
Tabea Rettelbach, Ingmar Nitze, Inge Grünberg, Jennika Hammar, Simon Schäffler, Daniel Hein, Matthias Gessner, Tilman Bucher, Jörg Brauchle, Jörg Hartmann, Torsten Sachs, Julia Boike, and Guido Grosse
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 5767–5798, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5767-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5767-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost landscapes in the Arctic are rapidly changing due to climate warming. Here, we publish aerial images and elevation models with very high spatial detail that help study these landscapes in northwestern Canada and Alaska. The images were collected using the Modular Aerial Camera System (MACS). This dataset has significant implications for understanding permafrost landscape dynamics in response to climate change. It is publicly available for further research.
Lydia Stolpmann, Ingmar Nitze, Ingeborg Bussmann, Benjamin M. Jones, Josefine Lenz, Hanno Meyer, Juliane Wolter, and Guido Grosse
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2822, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2822, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
We combine hydrochemical and lake change data to show consequences of permafrost thaw induced lake changes on hydrochemistry, which are relevant for the global carbon cycle. We found higher methane concentrations in lakes that do not freeze to the ground and show that lagoons have lower methane concentrations than lakes. Our detailed lake sampling approach show higher concentrations in Dissolved Organic Carbon in areas of higher erosion rates, that might increase under the climate warming.
Nina Nesterova, Marina Leibman, Alexander Kizyakov, Hugues Lantuit, Ilya Tarasevich, Ingmar Nitze, Alexandra Veremeeva, and Guido Grosse
The Cryosphere, 18, 4787–4810, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4787-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4787-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) are widespread in the Arctic permafrost landforms. RTSs present a big interest for researchers because of their expansion due to climate change. There are currently different scientific schools and terminology used in the literature on this topic. We have critically reviewed existing concepts and terminology and provided clarifications to present a useful base for experts in the field and ease the introduction to the topic for scientists who are new to it.
Soraya Kaiser, Julia Boike, Guido Grosse, and Moritz Langer
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 3719–3753, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3719-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3719-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Arctic warming, leading to permafrost degradation, poses primary threats to infrastructure and secondary ecological hazards from possible infrastructure failure. Our study created a comprehensive Alaska inventory combining various data sources with which we improved infrastructure classification and data on contaminated sites. This resource is presented as a GeoPackage allowing planning of infrastructure damage and possible implications for Arctic communities facing permafrost challenges.
Frederic Thalasso, Brenda Riquelme, Andrés Gómez, Roy Mackenzie, Francisco Javier Aguirre, Jorge Hoyos-Santillan, Ricardo Rozzi, and Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui
Biogeosciences, 20, 3737–3749, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3737-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3737-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
A robust skirt-chamber design to capture and quantify greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands is presented. Compared to standard methods, this design improves the spatial resolution of field studies in remote locations while minimizing intrusion.
Mauricio Arboleda-Zapata, Michael Angelopoulos, Pier Paul Overduin, Guido Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones, and Jens Tronicke
The Cryosphere, 16, 4423–4445, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4423-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4423-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We demonstrate how we can reliably estimate the thawed–frozen permafrost interface with its associated uncertainties in subsea permafrost environments using 2D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data. In addition, we show how further analyses considering 1D inversion and sensitivity assessments can help quantify and better understand 2D ERT inversion results. Our results illustrate the capabilities of the ERT method to get insights into the development of the subsea permafrost.
Loeka L. Jongejans, Kai Mangelsdorf, Cornelia Karger, Thomas Opel, Sebastian Wetterich, Jérémy Courtin, Hanno Meyer, Alexander I. Kizyakov, Guido Grosse, Andrei G. Shepelev, Igor I. Syromyatnikov, Alexander N. Fedorov, and Jens Strauss
The Cryosphere, 16, 3601–3617, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3601-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3601-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Large parts of Arctic Siberia are underlain by permafrost. Climate warming leads to permafrost thaw. At the Batagay megaslump, permafrost sediments up to ~ 650 kyr old are exposed. We took sediment samples and analysed the organic matter (e.g. plant remains). We found distinct differences in the biomarker distributions between the glacial and interglacial deposits with generally stronger microbial activity during interglacial periods. Further permafrost thaw enhances greenhouse gas emissions.
Jan Nitzbon, Damir Gadylyaev, Steffen Schlüter, John Maximilian Köhne, Guido Grosse, and Julia Boike
The Cryosphere, 16, 3507–3515, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3507-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-3507-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The microstructure of permafrost soils contains clues to its formation and its preconditioning to future change. We used X-ray computed tomography (CT) to measure the composition of a permafrost drill core from Siberia. By combining CT with laboratory measurements, we determined the the proportions of pore ice, excess ice, minerals, organic matter, and gas contained in the core at an unprecedented resolution. Our work demonstrates the potential of CT to study permafrost properties and processes.
Matthias Fuchs, Juri Palmtag, Bennet Juhls, Pier Paul Overduin, Guido Grosse, Ahmed Abdelwahab, Michael Bedington, Tina Sanders, Olga Ogneva, Irina V. Fedorova, Nikita S. Zimov, Paul J. Mann, and Jens Strauss
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2279–2301, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2279-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2279-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We created digital, high-resolution bathymetry data sets for the Lena Delta and Kolyma Gulf regions in northeastern Siberia. Based on nautical charts, we digitized depth points and isobath lines, which serve as an input for a 50 m bathymetry model. The benefit of this data set is the accurate mapping of near-shore areas as well as the offshore continuation of the main deep river channels. This will improve the estimation of river outflow and the nutrient flux output into the coastal zone.
Charlotte Haugk, Loeka L. Jongejans, Kai Mangelsdorf, Matthias Fuchs, Olga Ogneva, Juri Palmtag, Gesine Mollenhauer, Paul J. Mann, P. Paul Overduin, Guido Grosse, Tina Sanders, Robyn E. Tuerena, Lutz Schirrmeister, Sebastian Wetterich, Alexander Kizyakov, Cornelia Karger, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences, 19, 2079–2094, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2079-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2079-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Buried animal and plant remains (carbon) from the last ice age were freeze-locked in permafrost. At an extremely fast eroding permafrost cliff in the Lena Delta (Siberia), we found this formerly frozen carbon well preserved. Our results show that ongoing degradation releases substantial amounts of this carbon, making it available for future carbon emissions. This mobilisation at the studied cliff and also similarly eroding sites bear the potential to affect rivers and oceans negatively.
David Olefeldt, Mikael Hovemyr, McKenzie A. Kuhn, David Bastviken, Theodore J. Bohn, John Connolly, Patrick Crill, Eugénie S. Euskirchen, Sarah A. Finkelstein, Hélène Genet, Guido Grosse, Lorna I. Harris, Liam Heffernan, Manuel Helbig, Gustaf Hugelius, Ryan Hutchins, Sari Juutinen, Mark J. Lara, Avni Malhotra, Kristen Manies, A. David McGuire, Susan M. Natali, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, Frans-Jan W. Parmentier, Aleksi Räsänen, Christina Schädel, Oliver Sonnentag, Maria Strack, Suzanne E. Tank, Claire Treat, Ruth K. Varner, Tarmo Virtanen, Rebecca K. Warren, and Jennifer D. Watts
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5127–5149, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5127-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5127-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Wetlands, lakes, and rivers are important sources of the greenhouse gas methane to the atmosphere. To understand current and future methane emissions from northern regions, we need maps that show the extent and distribution of specific types of wetlands, lakes, and rivers. The Boreal–Arctic Wetland and Lake Dataset (BAWLD) provides maps of five wetland types, seven lake types, and three river types for northern regions and will improve our ability to predict future methane emissions.
McKenzie A. Kuhn, Ruth K. Varner, David Bastviken, Patrick Crill, Sally MacIntyre, Merritt Turetsky, Katey Walter Anthony, Anthony D. McGuire, and David Olefeldt
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5151–5189, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5151-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5151-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Methane (CH4) emissions from the boreal–Arctic region are globally significant, but the current magnitude of annual emissions is not well defined. Here we present a dataset of surface CH4 fluxes from northern wetlands, lakes, and uplands that was built alongside a compatible land cover dataset, sharing the same classifications. We show CH4 fluxes can be split by broad land cover characteristics. The dataset is useful for comparison against new field data and model parameterization or validation.
Cited articles
Bastviken, D., Cole, J. J., Pace, M. L., and Van de Bogert, M. C.: Fates of methane from different lake habitats: connecting whole-lake budgets and CH4 emissions, J. Geophys. Res., 113, G02024, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JG000608, 2008.
Bastviken, D., Tranvik, L. J., Downing, J. A., Crill, P. M., and Enrich-Prast, A.: Freshwater methane emissions offset the continental carbon sink, Science, 331, 50–50, 2011.
Bergman, I., Lundberg, P., and Nilsson, M.: Microbial carbon mineralisation in an acid surface peat: effects of environmental factors in laboratory incubations, Soil Biol. Biochem., 31, 1867–1877, 1999.
Blazewicz, S. J., Petersen, D. G., Waldrop, M. P., and Firestone, M. K.: Anaerobic oxidation of methane in tropical and boreal soils: ecological significance in terrestrial methane cycling, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 117, G02033, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001864, 2012.
Borrel, G., Jézéquel, D., Biderre-Petit, C., Morel-Desrosiers, N., Moerl, J. P., Peyret, P., Fonty, G., and Lehours, A. C.: Production and consumption of methane in freshwater lake ecosystems, Res. Microbiol., 162, 832–847, 2011.
Brosius, L. S., Walter Anthony, K. M., Grosse, G., Chanton, J. P., Farquharson, L. M., Overduin, P. P., and Meyer, H.: Using the deuterium isotope composition of permafrost meltwater to constrain thermokarst lake contributions to atmospheric CH4 during the last deglaciation, J. Geophys. Res., 117, G01022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001810, 2012.
Burn, C. R.: Lake-bottom thermal regimes, western arctic coast, Canada, Permafrost Periglac., 16, 355–367, 2005.
Cohen, A. S.: Paleolimnology: the History and Evolution of Lake Systems, Oxford University Press, New York, USA, 2003.
Cole, J., Prairie, Y., Caraco, N., McDowell, W., Tranvik, L., Striegl, R., Duarte, C., Kortelainen, P., Downing, J., Middelburg, J., and Melack, J.: Plumbing the global carbon cycle: integrating inland waters into the terrestrial carbon budget, Ecosystems, 10, 172–185, 2007.
Deutzmann, J. S. and Schink, B.: Anaerobic oxidation of methane in sediments of Lake Constance, an oligotrophic freshwater lake, Appl. Environ. Microb., 77, 4429–4436, 2011.
Duc, N. T., Crill, P., and Bastviken, D.: Implications of temperature and sediment characteristics on methane formation and oxidation in lake sediments, Biogeochemistry, 100, 185–196, 2010.
Farquharson, L. M., Walter Anthony, K. M., Bigelow, N. H. B., Edwards, M. E., and Grosse, G.: Facies analysis of yedoma thermokarst lakes on the northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska, Sediment. Geol., in review, 2015.
Gilichinsky, D., Rivkina, E., Shcherbakova, V., Laurinavichuis, K., and Tiedje, J.: Supercooled water brines within permafrost – an unknown ecological niche for microorganisms: a model for astrobiology, Astrobiology, 3, 331–341, 2003.
Gorini, L.: Effect of L-cysteine on initiation of anaerobic growth of E. Coli and A. Aerogenes, J. Bacteriol., 82, 305–312, 1961.
Grosse, G., Jones, B., and Arp, C.: Thermokarst lakes, drainage, and drained basins, in: Treatise on Geomorphology, edited by: Shroder, J. F., Academic Press, San Diego, 325–353, 2013a.
Grosse, G., Robinson, J. E., Bryant, R., Taylor, M. D., Harper, W., DeMasi, A., Kyker-Snowman, E., Veremeeva, A., Schirrmeister, L., and Harden, J.: Distribution of late Pleistocene ice-rich syngenetic permafrost of the Yedoma Suite in east and central Siberia, Russia, USGS, Reston, VA, 31, 2013b.
Gupta, V., Smemo, K., Yavitt, J., Fowle, D., Branfireun, B., and Basiliko, N.: Stable isotopes reveal widespread anaerobic methane oxidation across latitude and peatland type, Environ. Sci. Technol., 47, 8273–8279, 2013.
Gutknecht, J., Goodman, R., and Balser, T.: Linking soil process and microbial ecology in freshwater wetland ecosystems, Plant Soil, 289, 17–34, 2006.
Harden, J. W., Koven, C. D., Ping, C.-L., Hugelius, G., David McGuire, A., Camill, P., Jorgenson, T., Kuhry, P., Michaelson, G. J., O'Donnell, J. A., Schuur, E. A. G., Tarnocai, C., Johnson, K., and Grosse, G.: Field information links permafrost carbon to physical vulnerabilities of thawing, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L15704, https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL051958, 2012.
Hugelius, G., Strauss, J., Zubrzycki, S., Harden, J. W., Schuur, E. A. G., Ping, C.-L., Schirrmeister, L., Grosse, G., Michaelson, G. J., Koven, C. D., O'Donnell, J. A., Elberling, B., Mishra, U., Camill, P., Yu, Z., Palmtag, J., and Kuhry, P.: Estimated stocks of circumpolar permafrost carbon with quantified uncertainty ranges and identified data gaps, Biogeosciences, 11, 6573–6593, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6573-2014, 2014.
Jorgenson, M. T., Harden, J., Kanevskiy, M., O'Donnell, J., Wickland, K., Ewing, S., Manies, K., Zhuang, Q., Shur, Y., Striegl, R., and Koch, J.: Reorganization of vegetation, hydrology and soil carbon after permafrost degradation across heterogeneous boreal landscapes, Environ. Res. Lett., 8, 035017, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/035017, 2013.
Kanevskiy, M., Shur, Y., Jorgenson, M. T., and Stephani, E.: Cryostratigraphy of late Pleistocene syngenetic permafrost (yedoma) in northern Alaska, Itkillik River exposure, Quaternary Res., 75, 584–596, 2011.
Kankaala, P., Huotari, J., Peltomaa, E., Saloranta, T., and Ojala, A.: Methanotrophic activity in relation to methane efflux and total heterotrophic bacterial production in a stratified, humic, boreal lake, Limnol. Oceanogr., 51, 1195–1204, 2006.
Kessler, M. A., Plug, L. J., and Walter Anthony, K. M.: Simulating the decadal- to millennial-scale dynamics of morphology and sequestered carbon mineralization of two thermokarst lakes in NW Alaska, J. Geophys. Res., 117, G00M06, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001796, 2012.
Kholodov, A. L., Rivkina, E. M., Gilichinsky, D. A., Fyodorov-Davydov, D. G., Gubin, S. V., Sorokovikov, V. A., Ostroumov, V. E., and Maksimovich, S. V.: Estimation of the organic carbon input into Arctic ocean due to erosion of the East-Siberian seashore, Kriosphera Zemli, 7, 3–12, 2003.
Kling, G. W. and Kipphut, G. W.: Arctic lakes and streams as gas conduits to the atmosphere: implications for tundra carbon budgets, Science, 251, 298–301, 1991.
Knoblauch, C., Beer, C., Sosnin, A., Wagner, D., and Preiffer, E.: Predicting long-term carbon mineralization and trace gas production from thawing permafrost of Northeast Siberia, Glob. Change Biol., 19, 1160–1172, 2013.
Lee, H., Schuur, E. A. G., Inglett, K. S., Lavoie, M., and Chanton, J. P.: The rate of permafrost carbon release under aerobic and anaerobic conditions and its potential effects on climate, Glob. Change Biol., 18, 515–527, 2012.
Lofton, D. D., Whalen, S. C., and Hershey, A. E.: Effect of temperature on methane dynamics and evaluation of methane oxidation kinetics in shallow Arctic Alaskan lakes, Hydrobiologia, 721, 209–222, 2014.
McGuire, A. D., Anderson, L. G., Christensen, T. R., Dallimore, S. R., Guo, L., Hayes, D. J., Heimann, M., Loreson, T. D., MacDonald, R. B., and Roulet, N.: Sensitivity of the carbon cycle in the Arctic to climate change, Ecol. Monogr., 79, 523–555, 2009.
Meyer, H., Yoshikawa, K., Schirrmeister, L., and Andreev, A.: The Vault Creek Tunnel (Fairbanks Region, Alaska): A Late Quaternary Palaeoenvironmental Permafrost Record, Ninth International Conference on Permafrost, 1191–1196, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, 29 June to 03 July, 2008.
Murton, J. B.: Thermokarst-lake-basin sediments, Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, western arctic Canada, Sedimentology, 43, 737–760, 1996.
Myhre, G., Shindell, D., Breon, F. M., Collins, W., Fuglestvedt, J., Huang, J., Koch, D., Lamarque, J. F., Lee, D., Mendoza, B., Nakajima, T., Robock, A., Stephens, G., Takemura, T., and Zhang, H.: Anthropogenic and natural radiative forcing, in: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, New York, USA, 659–740, 2013.
Pewe, T. L.: Quaternary geology of Alaska, USGS Numbered Series, Professional Paper 835, US Govt. Print. Off., Washington, DC, USA, 1975.
Pienitz, R., Doran, P. T., and Lamoureux, S. F.: Origin and geomorphology of lakes in the polar regions, in: Polar Lakes and Rivers, edited by: Vincent, W., Oxford University Press, Oxford, 25–41, 2008.
Plug, L. J. and West, J. J.: Thaw lake expansion in a two-dimensional coupled model of heat transfer, thaw subsidence, and mass movement, J. Geophys. Res., 114, F01002, https://doi.org/10.1029/2006JF000740, 2009.
Reimer, P., Bard, E., Bayliss, A., Beck, J. W., Blackwell, P. G., Ramsey, C. B., Buck, C. E., Cheng, H., Edwards, R. L., Friedrich, M., Grootes, P. M., Guilderson, T. P., Haflidason, H., Hajdas, I., Hatté, C., and Heaton, T. J.: IntCal13 and Marine13 radiocarbon age calibration xurves 0–50 000 years cal BP, Radiocarbon, 55, 1869–1887, 2013.
Rivkina, E., Gilichinsky, D., Wagener, S., Tiedje, J., and McGrath, J.: Biogeochemical activity of anaerobic microorganisms from buried permafrost sediments, Geomicrobiol. J., 15, 187–193, 1998.
Romanovsky, V., Smith, S., and Christiansen, H.: Permafrost thermal state in the polar Northern Hemisphere during the International Polar Year 2007–2009: a synthesis, Permafrost Periglac., 11, 137–152, 2010.
Schädel, C., Schuur, E. A. G., Bracho, R., Elberling, B., Knoblauch, C., Lee, H., Luo, Y., Shaver, G. R., and Turetsky, M. R.: Circumpolar assessment of permafrost C quality and its vulnerability over time using long-term incubation data, Glob. Change Biol., 20, 641–652, 2014.
Schaefer, K., Lantuit, H., Romanovsky, V. E., Schuur, E. A. G., and Witt, R.: The impact of the permafrost carbon feedback on global climate, Environ. Res. Lett., 9, 085003, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/8/085003, 2014.
Schirrmeister, L., Grosse, G., Wetterich, S., Overduin, P. P., Strauss, J., Schuur, E. A. G., and Hubberten, H.: Fossil organic matter characteristics in permafrost deposits of the northeast Siberian Arctic, J. Geophys. Res., 116, G00M02, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JG001647, 2011.
Schulz, S., Matsuyama, H., and Conrad, R.: Temperature dependence of methane production from different precursors in a profundal sediment (Lake Constance), FEMS Microbiol. Ecol., 22, 207–213, 1997.
Schuur, E. A. G., and Abbott, B.: High risk of permafrost thaw, Nature, 480, 32–33, 2011.
Schuur, E. A. G., Abbott, B. W., Bowden, W. B., Brovkin, V., Camill, P., Canadell, J. G., Chanton, J. P., Chapin III, F. S., Christensen, T. R., Ciais, P., Crosby, B. T., Czimczik, C. I., Grosse, G., Harden, J., Hayes, D. J., Hugelius, G., Jastrow, J. D., Jones, J. B., Kleinen, T., Koven, C. D., Krinner, G., Kuhry, P., Lawrence, D. M., McGuire, A. D., Natali, S. M., O'Donnell, J. A., Ping, C.-L., Riley, W. J., Rinke, A., Romanovsky, V. E., Sannel, A. B.K., Schädel, C., Schaefer, K., Sky, J., Subin, Z. M., Tarnocai, C., Turetsky, M. R., Waldrop, M. P., Walter Anthony, K. M., Wickland, K. P., Wilson, C. J., and Zimov, S. A.: Expert assessment of vulnerability of permafrost carbon to climate change, Climatic Change, 119, 359–374, 2013.
Sepulveda-Jauregui, A., Walter Anthony, K. M., Martinez-Cruz, K., Greene, S., and Thalasso, F.: Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from 40 lakes along a north-south latitudinal transect in Alaska, Biogeosciences, 12, 3197–3223, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-3197-2015, 2015.
Shaver, G. R., Giblin, A. E., Nadelhoffer, K. J., Thieler, K. K., Downs, M. R., Launder, J. A., and Rastetter, E. B.: Carbon turnover in Alaskan tundra soils: effects of organic matter quality, temperature, moisture and fertilizer, J. Ecol., 94, 740–753, 2006.
Smemo, K. and Yavitt, J.: Evidence for anaerobic CH4 oxidation in freshwater peatlands, Geomicrobiol. J., 24, 583–597, 2007.
Smol, J. P.: Pollution of Lakes and Rivers: a Paleoenvironmental Perspective, 2 Edn., Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK, 2008.
Soloviev, P. A.: Thermokarst phenomena and landforms due to frostheaving in central Yakutia, Biuletyn Peryglacjalny, 23, 135–155, 1973.
Steven, B., Léveillé, R., Pollard, W., and Whyte, L.: Microbial ecology and biodiversity in permafrost, Extremophiles, 10, 259–267, 2006.
Strauss, J., Schirrmeister, L., Grosse, G., Wetterich, S., Ulrich, M., Herzschuh, U., and Hubberten, H.: The deep permafrost carbon pool of the Yedoma region in Siberia and Alaska, Geophys. Res. Lett., 40, 6165–6170, 2013.
Tranvik, L., Downing, J., and Cotner, J.: Lakes and reservoirs as regulators of carbon cycling and climate, Limnol. Oceanogr., 54, 2298–2314, 2009.
Valentine, D.: Biogeochemistry and microbial ecology of methane oxidation in anoxic environments: a review, Anton. Leeuw. Int. J. G., 81, 271–282, 2002.
Valentine, D., Holland, E. A., and Schimel, D. S.: Ecosystem and physiological controls over methane production in northern wetlands, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 99, 1563–1571, 1994.
Wagner, D., Gattinger, A., Embacher, A., Pfeiffer, E. M., Schloter, M., and Lipskis, A.: Methanogenic activity and biomass in holocene permafrost deposits of the Lena Delta, Siberian Arctic and its implication for the global methane budget, Glob. Change Biol., 13, 1089–1099, 2007.
Waldrop, M. P., Wickland, K. P., White III, R., Berhe, A. A., Harden, J. W., and Romanovsky, V. E.: Molecular investigations into a globally important carbon pool: permafrost-protected carbon in Alaskan soils, Glob. Change Biol., 16, 2543–2554, 2010.
Wallmann, K., Aloisi, G., Haeckel, M., Obzhirov, A., Pavlova, G., and Tishchenko, P.: Kinetics of organic matter degradation, microbial methane generation, and gas hydrate formation in anoxic marine sediments, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 70, 3905–3927, 2006.
Walter, K. M., Zimov, S. A., Chanton, J. P., Verbyla, D., and Chapin, I. F.S.: Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming, Nature, 443, 71–75, 2006.
Walter, K. M., Smith, L. C., and Chapin, F. S.: Methane bubbling from northern lakes: present and future contributions to the global methane budget, Philos. T. R. Soc. A, 365, 1657–1676, 2007.
Walter, K. M., Chanton, J. P., Chapin, F. S., Schuur, E. A. G., and Zimov, S. A.: Methane production and bubble emissions from arctic lakes: Isotopic implications for source pathways and ages, J. Geophys. Res., 113, G00A08, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JG000569, 2008.
Walter Anthony, K. M. and Anthony, P.: Constraining spatial variability of methane ebullition seeps in thermokarst lakes using point process models, J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeo., 118, 1015–1034, 2013.
Walter Anthony, K. M., Zimov, S. A., Grosse, G., Jones, M. C., Anthony, P. M., Chapin III, F. S., Finlay, J. C., Mack, M. C., Davydov, S., Frenzel, P., and Frolking, S.: A shift of thermokarst lakes from carbon sources to sinks during the Holocene epoch, Nature, 511, 452–456, 2014.
Westermann, P.: Temperature regulation of methanogenesis in wetlands, Chemosphere, 26, 321–328, 1993.
Wetzel, R. G.: Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems, 3rd Edn., Elsevier Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 2001.
Williams, P. J. and Smith, M. W.: The Frozen Earth: Fundamentals of Geocryology, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1989.
Wright, E. L., Black, C. R., Cheesman, A. W., Drage, T., Large, D., Turner, B. L., and Sjögersten, S.: Contribution of subsurface peat to CO2 and CH4 fluxes in a neotropical peatland, Glob. Change Biol., 17, 2867–2881, 2011.
Yavitt, J. B., Williams, C. J., and Wieder, R. K.: Controls on microbial production of methane and carbon dioxide in three sphagnum-dominated peatland ecosystems as revealed by a reciprocal field peat transplant experiment, Geomicrobiol. J., 17, 61–88, 2000.
Yavitt, J. B., Williams, C. J., and Wieder, R. K.: Soil chemistry versus environmental controls on production of CH4 and CO2 in northern peatlands, Eur. J. Soil Sci., 56, 169–178, 2005.
Yvon-Durocher, G. A., Bastviken, A. P., Conrad, D., Gudasz, R., St-Pierre, C., Thanh-Duc, A., Giorgio, N., and Paul, A.: Methane fluxes show consistent temperature dependence across microbial to ecosystem scales, Nature, 507, 488–491, 2014.
Zimov, S. A., Voropaev, Y. V., Semiletov, I. P., Davidov, S. P., Prosiannikov, S. F., Chapin, F. S., Chapin, M. C., Trumbore, S., and Tyler, S.: North Siberian lakes: a methane source fueled by pleistocene carbon, Science, 277, 800–802, 1997.
Zimov, S. A., Schuur, E. A. G., and Chapin, F. S.: Permafrost and the global carbon budget, Science, 312, 1612–1613, 2006.
Short summary
The relative magnitude of thermokarst lake CH4 production in surface sediments vs. deeper-thawed permafrost is not well understood. We assessed CH4 production potentials from a lake sediment core and adjacent permafrost tunnel in interior Alaska. CH4 production was highest in the organic-rich surface lake sediments and recently thawed permafrost at the bottom of the talik, implying CH4 production is highly variable and that both modern and ancient OM are important to lake CH4 production.
The relative magnitude of thermokarst lake CH4 production in surface sediments vs. deeper-thawed...
Special issue
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint