GEO-LEOedocs LogoGEO-LEOedocs Logo
  • GEO-LEO
    • Deutsch
    • English
  • GEO-LEO
  • English 
    • Deutsch
    • English
  • Login
View Item 
  •   Home
  • Alle Publikationen
  • Geochemie, Mineralogie, Petrologie
  • View Item
  •   Home
  • Alle Publikationen
  • Geochemie, Mineralogie, Petrologie
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Assessing the Potential for Mobilization of Old Soil Carbon After Permafrost Thaw: A Synthesis of 14C Measurements From the Northern Permafrost Region

Estop‐Aragonés, Cristian
Olefeldt, DavidORCIDiD
Abbott, Benjamin W.ORCIDiD
Chanton, Jeffrey P.ORCIDiD
Czimczik, Claudia I.ORCIDiD
Dean, Joshua F.ORCIDiD
Egan, Jocelyn E.
Gandois, LaureORCIDiD
Garnett, Mark H.
Hartley, Iain P.
Hoyt, AlisonORCIDiD
Lupascu, MassimoORCIDiD
Natali, Susan M.
O'Donnell, Jonathan A.
Raymond, Peter A.ORCIDiD
Tanentzap, Andrew J.
Tank, Suzanne E.ORCIDiD
Schuur, Edward A. G.ORCIDiD
Turetsky, Merritt
Anthony, Katey Walter
DOI: https://doi.org/10.23689/fidgeo-4005
Estop‐Aragonés, Cristian; Olefeldt, David; Abbott, Benjamin W.; Chanton, Jeffrey P.; Czimczik, Claudia I.; Dean, Joshua F.; Egan, Jocelyn E.; Gandois, Laure; Garnett, Mark H.; Hartley, Iain P.; Hoyt, Alison; Lupascu, Massimo; Natali, Susan M.; O'Donnell, Jonathan A.; Raymond, Peter A.; Tanentzap, Andrew J.; Tank, Suzanne E.; Schuur, Edward A. G.; Turetsky, Merritt; Anthony, Katey Walter, 2020: Assessing the Potential for Mobilization of Old Soil Carbon After Permafrost Thaw: A Synthesis of 14C Measurements From the Northern Permafrost Region. In: Global Biogeochemical Cycles, Band 34, 9, DOI: 10.23689/fidgeo-4005.
 
Thumbnail
View/Open
GBC_GBC21030.pdf (6.621Mb)
Metadata Export:
Endnote
BibTex
RIS
  • Abstract
The magnitude of future emissions of greenhouse gases from the northern permafrost region depends crucially on the mineralization of soil organic carbon (SOC) that has accumulated over millennia in these perennially frozen soils. Many recent studies have used radiocarbon (14C) to quantify the release of this “old” SOC as CO2 or CH4 to the atmosphere or as dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) to surface waters. We compiled ~1,900 14C measurements from 51 sites in the northern permafrost region to assess the vulnerability of thawing SOC in tundra, forest, peatland, lake, and river ecosystems. We found that growing season soil 14C‐CO2 emissions generally had a modern (post‐1950s) signature, but that well‐drained, oxic soils had increased CO2 emissions derived from older sources following recent thaw. The age of CO2 and CH4 emitted from lakes depended primarily on the age and quantity of SOC in sediments and on the mode of emission, and indicated substantial losses of previously frozen SOC from actively expanding thermokarst lakes. Increased fluvial export of aged DOC and POC occurred from sites where permafrost thaw caused soil thermal erosion. There was limited evidence supporting release of previously frozen SOC as CO2, CH4, and DOC from thawing peatlands with anoxic soils. This synthesis thus suggests widespread but not universal release of permafrost SOC following thaw. We show that different definitions of “old” sources among studies hamper the comparison of vulnerability of permafrost SOC across ecosystems and disturbances. We also highlight opportunities for future 14C studies in the permafrost region.
 
Key Points: We compiled ~1,900 14C measurements of CO2, CH4, DOC, and POC from the northern permafrost region. Old carbon release increases in thawed oxic soils (CO2), thermokarst lakes (CH4 and CO2), and headwaters with thermal erosion (DOC and POC). Simultaneous and year‐long 14C analyses of CO2, CH4, DOC, and POC are needed to assess the vulnerability of permafrost carbon across ecosystems.
Statistik:
View Statistics
Collection
  • Geochemie, Mineralogie, Petrologie [395]
Subjects:
permafrost thaw
radiocarbon
carbon dioxide
methane
dissolved organic carbon
particulate organic carbon
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‐NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

ImpressumPrivacy (Opt-Out)Cookie ConsentsAbout us/ContactDeposit LicenseSubmission hintsSupport: fid-geo-digi@sub.uni-goettingen.de
DFGSUBFID GEOFID Montan
 

 

Submit here
Submission hints
Search hints

All of Geo-Leo e-docsCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateContributorsSubjectsPeriodicalsTitlesThis CollectionBy Issue DateContributorsSubjectsPeriodicalsTitles

Statistics

View Usage Statistics

ImpressumPrivacy (Opt-Out)Cookie ConsentsAbout us/ContactDeposit LicenseSubmission hintsSupport: fid-geo-digi@sub.uni-goettingen.de
DFGSUBFID GEOFID Montan