scholarly journals Organic matter across subsea permafrost thaw horizons on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Wild ◽  
Natalia Shakhova ◽  
Oleg Dudarev ◽  
Alexey Ruban ◽  
Denis Kosmach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Luminescence Dating ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Permafrost Thaw ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Subsea Permafrost

Abstract. Thaw of subsea permafrost across the Arctic Ocean shelves might promote the degradation of organic matter to CO2 and CH4, but also create conduits for transfer of deeper CH4 pools to the atmosphere and thereby amplify global warming. In this study, we describe sedimentary characteristics of three subsea permafrost cores of 21–56 m length drilled near the current delta of the Lena River in the Buor–Khaya Bay on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, including content, origin and degradation state of organic matter around the current thaw front. Grain size distribution and optically stimulated luminescence dating suggest the alternating deposition of aeolian silt and fluvial sand over the past 160 000 years. Organic matter in 3 m sections across the current permafrost table was characterized by low organic carbon contents (average 0.7 ± 0.2 %) as well as enriched δ13C values and low concentrations of the terrestrial plant biomarker lignin compared to other recent and Pleistocene deposits in the study region. The lignin phenol composition further suggests contribution of both tundra and boreal forest vegetation, at least the latter likely deposited by rivers. Our findings indicate high variability in organic matter composition of subsea permafrost even within a small study area, reflecting its development in a heterogeneous and dynamic landscape. Even with this relatively low organic carbon content, the high rates of observed subsea permafrost thaw in this area yield a thaw-out of 1.6 kg OC m−2 year−1, emphasizing the need to constrain the fate of the poorly described and thawing subsea permafrost organic carbon pool.

scholarly journals The East Siberian Arctic Shelf: towards further assessment of permafrost-related methane fluxes and role of sea ice

2015 ◽  
Vol 373 (2052) ◽  
pp. 20140451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Shakhova ◽  
Igor Semiletov ◽  
Valentin Sergienko ◽  
Leopold Lobkovsky ◽  
Vladimir Yusupov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Heating Effects ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Methane Fluxes ◽  
Near Shore ◽  
Permafrost Thawing ◽  
Subsea Permafrost

Sustained release of methane (CH 4 ) to the atmosphere from thawing Arctic permafrost may be a positive and significant feedback to climate warming. Atmospheric venting of CH 4 from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) was recently reported to be on par with flux from the Arctic tundra; however, the future scale of these releases remains unclear. Here, based on results of our latest observations, we show that CH 4 emissions from this shelf are likely to be determined by the state of subsea permafrost degradation. We observed CH 4 emissions from two previously understudied areas of the ESAS: the outer shelf, where subsea permafrost is predicted to be discontinuous or mostly degraded due to long submergence by seawater, and the near shore area, where deep/open taliks presumably form due to combined heating effects of seawater, river run-off, geothermal flux and pre-existing thermokarst. CH 4 emissions from these areas emerge from largely thawed sediments via strong flare-like ebullition, producing fluxes that are orders of magnitude greater than fluxes observed in background areas underlain by largely frozen sediments. We suggest that progression of subsea permafrost thawing and decrease in ice extent could result in a significant increase in CH 4 emissions from the ESAS.

scholarly journals Macromolecular composition of terrestrial and marine organic matter in sediments across the East Siberian Arctic Shelf

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 2485-2500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert B. Sparkes ◽  
Ayça Doğrul Selver ◽  
Örjan Gustafsson ◽  
Igor P. Semiletov ◽  
Negar Haghipour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽  
Pyrolysis Gas ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Extractable Organic Matter

Abstract. Mobilisation of terrestrial organic carbon (terrOC) from permafrost environments in eastern Siberia has the potential to deliver significant amounts of carbon to the Arctic Ocean, via both fluvial and coastal erosion. Eroded terrOC can be degraded during offshore transport or deposited across the wide East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS). Most studies of terrOC on the ESAS have concentrated on solvent-extractable organic matter, but this represents only a small proportion of the total terrOC load. In this study we have used pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (py-GCMS) to study all major groups of macromolecular components of the terrOC; this is the first time that this technique has been applied to the ESAS. This has shown that there is a strong offshore trend from terrestrial phenols, aromatics and cyclopentenones to marine pyridines. There is good agreement between proportion phenols measured using py-GCMS and independent quantification of lignin phenol concentrations (r2 = 0.67, p < 0.01, n = 24). Furfurals, thought to represent carbohydrates, show no offshore trend and are likely found in both marine and terrestrial organic matter. We have also collected new radiocarbon data for bulk OC (14COC) which, when coupled with previous measurements, allows us to produce the most comprehensive 14COC map of the ESAS to date. Combining the 14COC and py-GCMS data suggests that the aromatics group of compounds is likely sourced from old, aged terrOC, in contrast to the phenols group, which is likely sourced from modern woody material. We propose that an index of the relative proportions of phenols and pyridines can be used as a novel terrestrial vs. marine proxy measurement for macromolecular organic matter. Principal component analysis found that various terrestrial vs. marine proxies show different patterns across the ESAS, and it shows that multiple river–ocean transects of surface sediments transition from river-dominated to coastal-erosion-dominated to marine-dominated signatures.

scholarly journals The origin of methane in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf unraveled with triple isotope analysis

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Célia J. Sapart ◽  
Natalia Shakhova ◽  
Igor Semiletov ◽  
Joachim Jansen ◽  
Sönke Szidat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
Climate Feedback ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Small Contribution ◽  
Isotope Data ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Subsea Permafrost

Abstract. Methane (CH4) is a strong greenhouse gas emitted by human activity and natural processes that are highly sensitive to climate change. The Arctic Ocean, especially the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) overlays large areas of subsea permafrost that is degrading. The release of large amount of CH4 originally stored or formed there could create a strong positive climate feedback. Large scale CH4 super-saturation has been observed in the ESAS waters, pointing to leakages of CH4 through the sea floor and possibly to the atmosphere, but the origin of this gas is still debated. Here, we present CH4 concentration and triple isotope data analyzed on gas extracted from sediment and water sampled over the shallow ESAS from 2007 to 2013. We find high concentrations (up to 500 μM) of CH4 in the pore water of the partially thawed subsea permafrost of this region. For all sediment cores, both hydrogen and carbon CH4 isotope data reveal the predominant presence of CH4 that is not of thermogenic/natural gas origin as it has long been thought, but resultant from microbial CH4 formation using as primary substrate glacial water and old organic matter preserved in the subsea permafrost or below. Radiocarbon data demonstrate that the CH4 present in the ESAS sediment is of Pleistocene age or older, but a small contribution of highly 14C-enriched CH4, from unknown origin, prohibits precise age determination for one sediment core and in the water column. Our data suggest that at locations where bubble plumes have been observed, CH4 can escape anaerobic oxidation in the surface sediment. CH4 will then rapidly migrate through the very shallow water column of the ESAS to escape to the atmosphere generating a positive radiative feedback.

First experimental estimation of the methane ebullition fraction in water column from the bottom to the surface: application for the East Siberian Arctic Shelf

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Chernykh ◽  
Denis Kosmach ◽  
Anton Konstantinov ◽  
Aleksander Salomatin ◽  
Vladimir Yusupov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Thermal State ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Russian Scientific ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Methane Ebullition ◽  
Subsea Permafrost

&lt;p&gt;The key area of the Arctic ocean for atmospheric venting of CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; is the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS). The ESAS covers &gt;2 million square kilometers (equal to the areas of Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Japan combined). This vast yet shallow region has recently been shown to be a significant modern source of atmospheric CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt;, contributing annually no less than terrestrial Arctic ecosystems; but unlike terrestrial ecosystems, the ESAS emits CH&lt;sub&gt;4 &lt;/sub&gt;year-round due to its partial openness during the winter when terrestrial ecosystems are dormant. Emissions are determined by and dependent on the current thermal state of the subsea permafrost and environmental factors controlling permafrost dynamics. Releases could potentially increase by 3-5 orders of magnitude, considering the sheer amount of CH&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; preserved within the shallow ESAS seabed deposits and the documented thawing rates of subsea permafrost reported recently.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The purpose of this work is to determine the methane ebullition fraction in water column: from the bottom to the surface, which is a key to evaluate quantitively methane release from the ESAS bottom through the water column into the atmosphere. A series of 351 experiments was carried out at to determine the quantity of methane (and other greenhouse gases) delivered by bubbles of various sizes through a water column into the atmosphere. It has been shown for depth up to 22 m (about 30% of the ESAS) that pure methane bubbles, depending on their diameter and water salinity, transported to the surface from 60.9% to 85.3% of gaseous methane.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This work was supported in part by grants from Russian Scientific Foundation (&amp;#8470; 18-77-10004 to DCh, DK, AK, &amp;#8470; 19-77-00067 to EG), the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (grant ID: 075-15-2020-978 to IS). The work was carried out as a part of Federal[&amp;#1055;W1]&amp;#160; assignment &amp;#8470; &amp;#1040;&amp;#1040;&amp;#1040;&amp;#1040;-&amp;#1040;17-117030110031-6 to AS.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals The origin of methane in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf unraveled with triple isotope analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2283-2292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Célia J. Sapart ◽  
Natalia Shakhova ◽  
Igor Semiletov ◽  
Joachim Jansen ◽  
Sönke Szidat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Age Determination ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Small Contribution ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Subsea Permafrost

Abstract. The Arctic Ocean, especially the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS), has been proposed as a significant source of methane that might play an increasingly important role in the future. However, the underlying processes of formation, removal and transport associated with such emissions are to date strongly debated. CH4 concentration and triple isotope composition were analyzed on gas extracted from sediment and water sampled at numerous locations on the shallow ESAS from 2007 to 2013. We find high concentrations (up to 500 µM) of CH4 in the pore water of the partially thawed subsea permafrost of this region. For all sediment cores, both hydrogen and carbon isotope data reveal the predominant occurrence of CH4 that is not of thermogenic origin as it has long been thought, but resultant from microbial CH4 formation. At some locations, meltwater from buried meteoric ice and/or old organic matter preserved in the subsea permafrost were used as substrates. Radiocarbon data demonstrate that the CH4 present in the ESAS sediment is of Pleistocene age or older, but a small contribution of highly 14C-enriched CH4, from unknown origin, prohibits precise age determination for one sediment core and in the water column. Our sediment data suggest that at locations where bubble plumes have been observed, CH4 can escape anaerobic oxidation in the surface sediment.

scholarly journals Carbon cycling on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf – a change in air-sea CO<sub>2</sub> flux induced by mineralization of terrestrial organic carbon

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Gustafsson ◽  
Christoph Humborg ◽  
Göran Björk ◽  
Christian Stranne ◽  
Leif G. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Cycling ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Biogeochemical Model ◽  
Siberian Arctic

Abstract. Measurements from the SWERUS-C3 and ISSS-08 Arctic expeditions were used to calibrate and validate a new physical-biogeochemical model developed to quantify key carbon cycling processes on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS). The model was used in a series of experimental simulations with the specific aim to investigate the pathways of terrestrial dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOCter and POCter) supplied to the shelf. Rivers supply on average 8.5 Tg C yr−1 dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and further 8.5 and 1.1 Tg C yr−1 DOCter and POCter respectively. Based on observed and simulated DOC concentrations and stable isotope values (δ13CDOC) in shelf waters, we estimate that only some 20 % of the riverine DOCter is labile. According to our model results, an additional supply of approximately 14 Tg C yr−1 eroded labile POCter is however required to describe the observed stable isotope values of DIC (δ13CDIC). Degradation of riverine DOCter and POCter results in a 1.8 Tg C yr−1 reduction in the uptake of atmospheric CO2, while degradation of eroded POCter results in an additional 10 Tg C yr−1 reduction. Our calculations indicate nevertheless that the ESAS is an overall small net sink for atmospheric CO2 (1.7 Tg C yr−1). The external carbon sources are largely compensated by a net export from the shelf to the Arctic Ocean (31 Tg C yr−1), and to a smaller degree by a permanent burial in the sediments (2.7 Tg C yr−1).

scholarly journals The impact of land-fast ice on the distribution of terrestrial dissolved organic matter in the Siberian Arctic shelf seas

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens A. Hölemann ◽  
Bennet Juhls ◽  
Dorothea Bauch ◽  
Markus Janout ◽  
Boris P. Koch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Dissolved Organic Matter ◽  
River Water ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
Shelf Seas ◽  
Fast Ice

Abstract. Remobilization of soil carbon as a result of permafrost degradation in the drainage basin of the major Siberian rivers combined with higher precipitation in a warming climate potentially increase the flux of terrestrial derived dissolved organic matter (tDOM) into the Arctic Ocean. The Laptev (LS) and East Siberian Seas (ESS) receive enormous amounts of tDOM-rich river water, which undergoes at least one freeze-melt cycle in the Siberian Arctic shelf seas. To better understand how freezing and melting affect the tDOM dynamics in the LS and ESS, we sampled sea ice, river and seawater for their dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and the colored fraction of dissolved organic matter. The sampling took place in different seasons over a period of 9 years (2010–2019). Our results suggest that the main factor regulating the tDOM distribution in the LS and ESS is the mixing of marine waters with freshwater sources carrying different tDOM concentrations. Of particular importance in this context are the 211 km3 of meltwater from land-fast ice from the LS, containing ~ 0.3 Tg DOC, which in spring mixes with 245 km3 of river water from the peak spring discharge of the Lena River, carrying ~ 2.4 Tg DOC into the LS. During the ice-free season, tDOM transport on the shelves takes place in the surface mixed layer, with the direction of transport depending on the prevailing wind direction. In winter, about 1.2 Tg of brine-related DOC, which was expelled from the growing land-fast ice in the LS, is transported in the near-surface water layer into the Transpolar Drift Stream that flows from the Siberian Shelf toward Greenland. The actual water depth in which the tDOM-rich brines are transported, depends mainly on the density stratification of the LS and ESS in the preceding summer and the amount of ice produced in winter. We suspect that climate change in the Arctic will fundamentally alter the dynamics of tDOM transport in the Arctic marginal seas, which will also have consequences for the Arctic carbon cycle.

scholarly journals Organic matter characteristics of a rapidly eroding permafrost cliff in NE Siberia (Lena Delta, Laptev Sea region)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Haugk ◽  
Loeka Laura Jongejans ◽  
Kai Mangelsdorf ◽  
Matthias Fuchs ◽  
Olga Ogneva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Average Chain Length ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Mis 3 ◽  
Lipid Biomarker ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
High Organic Carbon Content

Abstract. Organic carbon (OC) stored in Arctic permafrost represents one of Earth’s largest and most vulnerable terrestrial carbon pools. Amplified climate warming across the Arctic results in widespread permafrost thaw. Permafrost deposits exposed at river cliffs and coasts are particularly susceptible to thawing processes. Accelerating erosion of terrestrial permafrost along shorelines leads to increased transfer of organic matter (OM) to nearshore waters. However, the amount of terrestrial permafrost carbon and nitrogen as well as the OM quality in these deposits are still poorly quantified. Here, we characterise the sources and the quality of OM supplied to the Lena River at a rapidly eroding permafrost river shoreline cliff in the eastern part of the delta (Sobo-Sise Island). Our multi-proxy approach captures bulk elemental, molecular geochemical and carbon isotopic analyses of late Pleistocene Yedoma permafrost and Holocene cover deposits, discontinuously spanning the last ~52 ka. We show that the ancient permafrost exposed in the Sobo-Sise cliff has a high organic carbon content (mean of about 5 wt%).We found that the OM quality, which we define as the intrinsic potential to further transformation, decomposition, and mineralization, is also high as inferred by the lipid biomarker inventory. The oldest sediments stem from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 interstadial deposits (dated to 52 to 28 cal kyr BP) and is overlaid by Last Glacial MIS 2 (dated to 28 to 15 cal ka BP) and Holocene MIS 1 (dated to 7–0 cal ka BP) deposits. The relatively high average chain length (ACL) index of n-alkanes along the cliff profile indicates a predominant contribution of vascular plants to the OM composition. The elevated ratio of iso and anteiso-branched FAs relative to long chain (C ≥ 20) n-FAs in the interstadial MIS 3 and the interglacial MIS 1 deposits, suggests stronger microbial activity and consequently higher input of bacterial biomass during these climatically warmer periods. The overall high carbon preference index (CPI) and higher plant fatty acid (HPFA) values as well as high C / N ratios point to a good quality of the preserved OM and thus to a high potential of the OM for decomposition upon thaw. A decrease of HPFA values downwards along the profile probably indicates a relatively stronger OM decomposition in the oldest (MIS 3) deposits of the cliff. The characterisation of OM from eroding permafrost leads to a better assessment of the greenhouse gas potential of the OC released into river and nearshore waters in future, which is important to understand the consequences of a warming climate in Arctic environments on the global carbon cycle.

scholarly journals GDGT distributions on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf: implications for organic carbon export, burial and degradation

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3753-3768 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. B. Sparkes ◽  
A. Doğrul Selver ◽  
J. Bischoff ◽  
H. M. Talbot ◽  
Ö. Gustafsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Stable Carbon Isotope ◽  
Arctic Shelf ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Fluvial Erosion ◽  
Siberian Arctic ◽  
The Arctic Ocean

Abstract. Siberian permafrost contains a globally significant pool of organic carbon (OC) that is vulnerable to enhanced warming and subsequent release into the contemporary carbon cycle. OC release by both fluvial and coastal erosion has been reported in the region, but the behaviour of this material in the Arctic Ocean is insufficiently understood. The balance between OC deposition and degradation on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) influences the climate–carbon cycle feedback in this area. In this study we couple measurements of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) with bulk geochemical observations to improve knowledge of the sources of OC to the ESAS, the behaviour of specific biomarkers on the shelf and the balance between delivery and removal of different carbon pools. Branched GDGT (brGDGT) concentrations were highest close to river mouths, yet low in "ice complex" permafrost deposits, supporting recent observations that brGDGTs are mostly delivered by fluvial erosion, and may be a tracer for this in complex sedimentary environments. BrGDGT concentrations and the branched and isoprenoidal tetraether (BIT) index reduced quickly offshore, demonstrating a rapid reduction in river influence. Stable carbon isotope ratios changed at a different rate to the BIT index, suggesting not only that OC on the shelf is sourced from fluvial erosion but also that erosion of coastal sediments delivers substantial quantities of OC to the Arctic Ocean. A model of OC export from fluvial, coastal and marine sources is able to recreate the biomarker and bulk observations and provide estimates for the influence of fluvial and coastal OC across the whole shelf. The model shows that coastal erosion delivers 43 % of the OC and 87 % of the mineral sediment to the ESAS, but that rivers deliver 72 % of brGDGTs, indicating that brGDGTs can be used as a proxy for river-derived sediment.

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