scholarly journals The cryostratigraphy of the Yedoma cliff of Sobo-Sise Island (Lena Delta) reveals permafrost dynamics in the Central Laptev Sea coastal region during the last about 52 ka

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Wetterich ◽  
Alexander Kizyakov ◽  
Michael Fritz ◽  
Juliane Wolter ◽  
Gesine Mollenhauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Coarse Silt ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Mis 3 ◽  
D Values ◽  
Δ18o And Δd ◽  
Lena Delta

Abstract. The present study examines the formation history and cryolithological properties of late Pleistocene Yedoma Ice Complex (IC) and its Holocene cover in the eastern Lena Delta on Sobo-Sise Island. The sedimentary sequence was continuously sampled in 0.5 m resolution at a vertical Yedoma cliff starting from 24.2 m above rivel level (arl). The sequence differentiates into three cryostratigraphic units; unit A: dated from ca. 52 to 28 cal ka BP; unit B: dated from ca. 28 to 15 cal ka BP; unit C: dated from ca. 7 to 0 cal ka BP. Three chronologic gaps in the record are striking. The hiatus during the interstadial MIS 3 (36–29 cal ka BP) as well as during stadial MIS 2 (20–17 cal ka BP) might be related to fluvial erosion and/or changed discharge patterns of the Lena River caused by repeated outburst floods from the glacial Lake Vitim in Southern Siberia along the Lena River valley towards the Arctic Ocean. The hiatus during the MIS 2-1 transition (15–7 cal ka BP) is a commonly observed feature in permafrost chronologies due to intense thermokarst activity of the deglacial period. The chronologic gaps of the Sobo-Sise Yedoma record are similarly found at two neighbouring Yedoma IC sites on Bykovsky Peninsula and Kurungnakh-Sise Island, and most likely of regional importance. The three cryostratigraphic units of the Sobo-Sise Yedoma exhibit distinct signatures in properties of their clastic, organic and ice components. Higher permafrost aggradation rates of 1 m ka-1 with higher organic matter (OM) stocks (29±15 kg C m-3, 2.2±1.0 kg N m-3) and mainly coarse silt are found for the interstadial MIS 3 unit A if compared to the stadial MIS 2 unit B with 0.7 m ka-1 permafrost aggradation, lower OM stocks (14±8 kg C m-3, 1.4±0.4 kg N m-3 in unit B) and pronounced peaks in the coarse silt and medium sand fractions. Geochemical signatures of intrasedimental ice reflect the differences in summer evaporation and moisture regime by higher ion contents and less depleted stable δ18O and δD isotope ratios but lower deuterium excess (d) values during interstadial MIS 3 if compared to stadial MIS 2. The δ18O and δD composition of MIS 3 and MIS 2 ice wedges shows characteristic well-depleted values and low d values, while MIS 1 ice wedges have elevated mean d values between 11‰ and 15‰ and surprisingly low δ18O and δD values. Hence, the isotopic difference between late Pleistocene and Holocene ice wedges is more pronounced in d than in δ values. The present study of the permafrost exposed at the Sobo-Sise Yedoma cliff provides a comprehensive cryostratigraphic inventory, insights into permafrost aggradation and degradation over the last about 52 thousand years, and their climatic and morphodynamic controls on the regional scale of the Central Laptev Sea coastal region in NE Siberia.

scholarly journals The cryostratigraphy of the Yedoma cliff of Sobo-Sise Island (Lena delta) reveals permafrost dynamics in the central Laptev Sea coastal region during the last 52 kyr

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 4525-4551
Author(s):  
Sebastian Wetterich ◽  
Alexander Kizyakov ◽  
Michael Fritz ◽  
Juliane Wolter ◽  
Gesine Mollenhauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Coarse Silt ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Mis 3 ◽  
D Values ◽  
Δ18o And Δd ◽  
Lena Delta

Abstract. The present study examines the formation history and cryolithological properties of the late-Pleistocene Yedoma Ice Complex (IC) and its Holocene cover in the eastern Lena delta on Sobo-Sise Island. The sedimentary sequence was continuously sampled at 0.5 m resolution at a vertical Yedoma cliff starting from 24.2 m above river level (a.r.l.). The sequence differentiates into three cryostratigraphic units: Unit A, dated from ca. 52 to 28 cal kyr BP; Unit B, dated from ca. 28 to 15 cal kyr BP; Unit C, dated from ca. 7 to 0 cal kyr BP. Three chronologic gaps in the record are striking. The hiatus during the interstadial marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 (36–29 cal kyr BP) as well as during stadial MIS 2 (20–17 cal kyr BP) might be related to fluvial erosion and/or changed discharge patterns of the Lena river caused by repeated outburst floods from the glacial Lake Vitim in southern Siberia along the Lena river valley towards the Arctic Ocean. The hiatus during the MIS 2–1 transition (15–7 cal kyr BP) is a commonly observed feature in permafrost chronologies due to intense thermokarst activity of the deglacial period. The chronologic gaps of the Sobo-Sise Yedoma record are similarly found at two neighbouring Yedoma IC sites on Bykovsky Peninsula and Kurungnakh-Sise Island and are most likely of regional importance. The three cryostratigraphic units of the Sobo-Sise Yedoma exhibit distinct signatures in properties of their clastic, organic, and ice components. Higher permafrost aggradation rates of 1 m kyr−1 with higher organic-matter (OM) stocks (29 ± 15 kg C m−3, 2.2 ± 1.0 kg N m−3; Unit A) and mainly coarse silt are found for the interstadial MIS 3 if compared to the stadial MIS 2 with 0.7 m kyr−1 permafrost aggradation, lower OM stocks (14 ± 8 kg C m−3, 1.4 ± 0.4 kg N m−3; Unit B), and pronounced peaks in the coarse-silt and medium-sand fractions. Geochemical signatures of intra-sedimental ice reflect the differences in summer evaporation and moisture regime by higher ion content and less depleted ratios of stable δ18O and stable δD isotopes but lower deuterium excess (d) values during interstadial MIS 3 if compared to stadial MIS 2. The δ18O and δD composition of MIS 3 and MIS 2 ice wedges shows characteristic well-depleted values and low d values, while MIS 1 ice wedges have elevated mean d values between 11 ‰ and 15 ‰ and surprisingly low δ18O and δD values. Hence, the isotopic difference between late-Pleistocene and Holocene ice wedges is more pronounced in d than in δ values. The present study of the permafrost exposed at the Sobo-Sise Yedoma cliff provides a comprehensive cryostratigraphic inventory, insights into permafrost aggradation, and degradation over the last approximately 52 kyr as well as their climatic and morphodynamic controls on the regional scale of the central Laptev Sea coastal region in NE Siberia.

Particulate and dissolved organic carbon composition in the Lena River and its Delta, from Yakutsk to the Arctic Ocean.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Ogneva ◽  
Gesine Mollenhauer ◽  
Matthias Fuchs ◽  
Juri Palmtag ◽  
Tina Sanders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Main Channel ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Lena River ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
The Laptev Sea ◽  
Lena Delta

<p>Rapid climate warming in the Arctic intensifies permafrost thaw, increases active layer depth in summer and enhances riverbank and coastal erosion. All of these cause additional release of organic matter (OM) into streams and rivers. OM will be (1) transformed and modified during transport and subsequently discharged into the Arctic Ocean, or (2) removed from the active cycling by sedimentation. Here, the nearshore zone (which includes deltas, estuaries and coasts) is of great importance, where the major transformation processes of terrestrial material take place. Despite the importance of deltas for the biogeochemical cycle, their functioning is poorly understood. For our study we examined the Lena River nearshore, which represents the world’s third largest delta and supplies the second highest annual water and sediment discharge into the Arctic Ocean. Running through almost the entirety of East Siberia from Lake Baikal to the Laptev Sea, the Lena River drains an area of ∼2,61×10<sup>6</sup> km<sup>2</sup>  with approximately 90% underlain by permafrost. Our aims were to investigate the spatial variation of OM concentration and isotopic composition during transit from terrestrial permafrost source to the ocean interface, and to compare riverine and deltaic OM composition. We measured particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC) concentrations and their associated δ<sup>13</sup>C and ∆<sup>14</sup>C values in water samples collected along a ∼1500 km long Lena River transect from Yakutsk downstream to the river outlet into the Laptev Sea.</p><p>We find significant qualitative and quantitative differences between the OM composition in the Lena River main channel and its delta. Further, we found suspended matter and POC concentrations decreased during transit from river to the Arctic Ocean.  DOC concentrations in the Lena delta were almost 50% lower than OM from the main channel. We found that deltaic POC is depleted in <sup>13</sup>C relative to fluvial POC, and that its <sup>14</sup>C signature suggests a modern composition indicating phytoplankton origin. This observation likely reflects the difference in hydrological conditions between the delta and the river main channel, caused by lower flow velocity and average water depth. We propose that deltaic environments provide favorable growth conditions for riverine primary producers such as algae and aquatic plants. Deltaic DOC is depleted in <sup>14</sup>C compared to riverine, especially in samples taken from the water surface, which indicates contributions from an additional old carbon stock source, specific for the Lena Delta. We suggest that this C is released from deltaic bank erosion and partly stays floating on the surface. In conclusion, we found a strong impact of deltaic processes on the fate and dominant signatures of OM discharged into the Arctic Ocean.</p>

scholarly journals Phytoplankton community structure in the Lena Delta (Siberia, Russia) in relation to hydrography

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 7263-7277 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Kraberg ◽  
E. Druzhkova ◽  
B. Heim ◽  
M. J. G. Loeder ◽  
K. H. Wiltshire
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Phytoplankton Community ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Phytoplankton Community Structure ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
The Laptev Sea ◽  
Lena Delta

Abstract. The Lena Delta in Northern Siberia is one of the largest river deltas in the world. During peak discharge, after the ice melt in spring, it delivers between 60–8000 m3 s−1 of water and sediment into the Arctic Ocean. The Lena Delta and the Laptev Sea coast also constitute a continuous permafrost region. Ongoing climate change, which is particularly pronounced in the Arctic, is leading to increased rates of permafrost thaw. This has already profoundly altered the discharge rates of the Lena River. But the chemistry of the river waters which are discharged into the coastal Laptev Sea have also been hypothesized to undergo considerable compositional changes, e.g. by increasing concentrations of inorganic nutrients such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and methane. These physical and chemical changes will also affect the composition of the phytoplankton communities. However, before potential consequences of climate change for coastal arctic phytoplankton communities can be judged, the inherent status of the diversity and food web interactions within the delta have to be established. In 2010, as part of the AWI Lena Delta programme, the phyto- and microzooplankton community in three river channels of the delta (Trofimov, Bykov and Olenek) as well as four coastal transects were investigated to capture the typical river phytoplankton communities and the transitional zone of brackish/marine conditions. Most CTD profiles from 23 coastal stations showed very strong stratification. The only exception to this was a small, shallow and mixed area running from the outflow of Bykov channel in a northerly direction parallel to the shore. Of the five stations in this area, three had a salinity of close to zero. Two further stations had salinities of around 2 and 5 throughout the water column. In the remaining transects, on the other hand, salinities varied between 5 and 30 with depth. Phytoplankton counts from the outflow from the Lena were dominated by diatoms (Aulacoseira species) cyanobacteria (Aphanizomenon, Pseudanabaena) and chlorophytes. In contrast, in the stratified stations the plankton was mostly dominated by dinoflagellates, ciliates and nanoflagellates, with only an insignificant diatom component from the genera Chaetoceros and Thalassiosira (brackish as opposed to freshwater species). Ciliate abundance was significantly coupled with the abundance of total flagellates. A pronounced partitioning in the phytoplankton community was also discernible with depth, with a different community composition and abundance above and below the thermocline in the stratified sites. This work is a first analysis of the phytoplankton community structure in the region where Lena River discharge enters the Laptev Sea.

scholarly journals Lena River Delta formation during the Holocene

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 4085-4122 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Bolshiyanov ◽  
A. Makarov ◽  
L. Savelieva
Keyword(s):  
Sea Water ◽  
River Delta ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Marine Terraces ◽  
Delta Formation ◽  
Carbon Reservoir ◽  
Lena River Delta

Abstract. The Lena River Delta, the largest delta of the Arctic Ocean, differs from other deltas because it consists mainly of organomineral sediments, commonly called peat, that contain a huge organic carbon reservoir. The analysis of Delta sediment radiocarbon ages showed that they could not have formed as peat during floodplain bogging, but accumulated when Laptev Sea water level was high and green mosses and sedges grew and were deposited on the surface of flooded marshes. The Lena River Delta formed as organomineral masses and layered sediments accumulated during transgressive phases when sea level rose. In regressive phases, the islands composed of these sediments and other, more ancient islands were eroded. Each new sea transgression led to further accumulation of layered sediments. As a result of alternating transgressive and regressive phases the first alluvial-marine terrace formed, consisting of geological bodies of different ages. Determining the formation age of different areas of the first terrace and other marine terraces on the coast allowed the periods of increasing (8–6 Ka, 4.5–4 Ka, 2.5–1.5 Ka, 0.4–0.2 Ka) and decreasing (5 Ka, 3 Ka, 0.5 Ka) Laptev Sea levels to be distinguished in the Lena Delta area.

scholarly journals On the biogeochemical signature of the Lena River from its headwaters to the Arctic Ocean

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 2093-2143 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. P. Semiletov ◽  
I. I. Pipko ◽  
N. E. Shakhova ◽  
O. V. Dudarev ◽  
S. P. Pugach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Time Shift ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Lena River ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
The Laptev Sea

Abstract. The Lena River integrates biogeochemical signals from its vast drainage basin and its signal reaches far out over the Arctic Ocean. Transformation of riverine organic carbon into mineral carbon, and mineral carbon into the organic form in the Lena River watershed, can be considered a quasi-equilibrated processes. Increasing the Lena discharge causes opposite effects on total organic (TOC) and inorganic (TCO2) carbon: TOC concentration increases, while TCO2 concentration decreases. Significant inter-annual variability in mean values of TCO2, TOC, and their sum (TC) has been found. This variability is determined by changes in land hydrology which cause differences in the Lena River discharge, because a negative correlation may be found between TC in September and mean discharge in August (a time shift of about one month is required for water to travel from Yakutsk to the Laptev Sea). Total carbon entering the sea with the Lena discharge is estimated to be almost 10 Tg C y−1. The annual Lena River discharge of particulate organic carbon (POC) may be equal to 0.38 Tg (moderate to high estimate). If we instead accept Lisytsin's (1994) statement concerning the precipitation of 85–95% of total particulate matter (PM) (and POC) on the marginal "filter", then only about 0.03–0.04 Tg of POC reaches the Laptev Sea from the Lena River. The Lena's POC export would then be two orders of magnitude less than the annual input of eroded terrestrial carbon onto the shelf of the Laptev and East Siberian seas, which is about 4 Tg. The Lena River is characterized by relatively high concentrations of primary greenhouse gases: CO2 and dissolved CH4. During all seasons the river is supersaturated in CO2 compared to the atmosphere: up to 1.5–2 fold in summer, and 4–5 fold in winter. This results in a narrow zone of significant CO2 supersaturation in the adjacent coastal sea. Spots of dissolved CH4 in the Lena delta channels may reach 100 nM, but the CH4 concentration decreases to 5–20 nM towards the sea, which suggests only a minor role of riverborne export of CH4 for the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) CH4 budget in coastal waters. Instead, the seabed appears to be the source that provides most of the CH4 to the Arctic Ocean.

scholarly journals Bioindication of the water salinity dynamics by the microalgae communities in the Lena River Delta, Laptev Sea, Russian Arctic

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 15-28
Author(s):  
S. S. Barinova ◽  
V. A. Gabyshev ◽  
A. P. Ivanova ◽  
O. I. Gabysheva
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
River Delta ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Water Salinity ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Russian Arctic ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Lena River Delta ◽  
The Laptev Sea

The Lena River in the Laptev Sea forms a vast delta, one of the largest in the world. The Ust-Lensky State Nature Reserve saves biodiversity on the Lena Delta territory beyond the Arctic Circle, in the zone of continuous permafrost. In recent years, large-scale plans for the development of extractive industries are implemented in this Russian Arctic sector. In this regard, the study of biodiversity and bioindication properties of aquatic organisms in the Lena River estuary area is becoming more and more relevant. This study aims to identify the species composition of microalgae in lotic and lentic water bodies of the Lena River Delta and use their indicator property for water salinity. It was a trace indicator of species distribution over the delta and their dynamics along the delta main watercourses to assess the impact of river waters on the Laptev Sea coastal areas. For this, all previously published materials on algae and chemical composition of the region waters as well as data obtained in recent years for the waters of the lower Lena reach were involved. In total, 700 species considered to 10 phyla were analyzed: Cyanobacteria (83), Euglenozoa (13), Ochrophyta (Chrysophyta, Xanthophyta) (41), Eustigmatophyta (4), Bacillariophyta (297), Miozoa (20), Cryptophyta (3), Rhodophyta (1), Chlorophyta (125), and Charophyta (111). The available materials of the field and reference observations were analyzed using several statistical methods. The study results indicate that hydrological conditions are the main factor regulating the spatial structure of the species composition of the microalgae communities in the Lena River Delta. The distribution of groups of salinity indicators across flowing water bodies reflects the effect of water salinity, and this allows suggesting possible sources of this effect. The mechanism of tracking the distribution of environmental indicators itself is a sensitive method, that reveals even their subtle changes in them; therefore, as an integral method, it can be helpful for further monitoring.

Mercury and methylmercury along a transect from the Lena river estuary across the Laptev Sea Shelf

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Van Liem Nguyen ◽  
Birgit Wild ◽  
Örjan Gustafsson ◽  
Igor Semiletov ◽  
Oleg Dudarev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
River Delta ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Terrestrial Organic Matter ◽  
Lena River ◽  
The Arctic Ocean ◽  
The Laptev Sea

<p>Widespread accelerated permafrost thawing is predicted for this century and beyond. This threatens to remobilize the large amounts of Mercury (Hg) currently ‘locked’ in Arctic permafrost soils to the Arctic Ocean and thus potentially lead to severe consequences for human and wildlife health. Future risks of Arctic Hg in a warmer climate are, however, poorly understood. One crucial knowledge gap to fill is the fate of Hg once it enters the marine environment on the continental shelves. Arctic rivers are already today suggested to be the main source of Hg into the Arctic Ocean, with dissolved and particulate organic matter (DOM and POM, respectively) identified as important vectors for the land to sea transport.</p><p>In this study, we have investigated total Hg (HgT) and monomethylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in surface sediments from the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) along a transect from the Lena river delta to the Laptev Sea continental slope. The ESAS is the world’s largest continental shelf and receives large amounts of organic carbon by the great Arctic Russian rivers (e.g., Lena, Indigirka and Kolyma), remobilized from continuous and discontinuous permafrost regions in the river catchments, and from coastal erosion. Data on HgT and MeHg levels in ESAS sediments is however limited. Here, we observed concentrations of Hg ranging from 30 to 96 ng Hg g<sup>-1</sup> d.w. of HgT, and 0.03 to 9.5 ng Hg g<sup>-1</sup> d.w. of MeHg. Similar concentrations of HgT were observed close to the river delta (54 ± 19 ng Hg g<sup>-1</sup> d.w.), where >95 % of the organic matter is of terrestrial origin, and the other section of the transect (42 ± 7 ng Hg g<sup>-1</sup> d.w.) where the terrestrial organic matter is diluted with carbon from marine sources. In contrast, we observed higher concentrations of MeHg close to the river delta (0.72 ± 0.71 ng Hg g<sup>-1</sup> d.w. as MeHg) than further out on the continental shelf (0.031 ± 0.71 ng Hg g<sup>-1</sup> d.w. as MeHg). We also observed a positive correlation between the MeHg:Hg ratio and previously characterized molecular markers of terrestrial organic matter (Bröder et al. Biogeosciences (2016) & Nature Com. (2018)). We thus suggest riverine inputs, rather than in situ MeHg formation, to explain observed MeHg trends.</p>

scholarly journals Distribution of Fe isotopes in particles and colloids in the salinity gradient along the Lena River plume, Laptev Sea

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1305-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Conrad ◽  
Johan Ingri ◽  
Johan Gelting ◽  
Fredrik Nordblad ◽  
Emma Engström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Salinity Gradient ◽  
River Mouth ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Shelf Zone ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Freshwater Plume ◽  
The Laptev Sea ◽  
Particles And Colloids

Abstract. Riverine Fe input is the primary Fe source for the ocean. This study is focused on the distribution of Fe along the Lena River freshwater plume in the Laptev Sea using samples from a 600 km long transect in front of the Lena River mouth. Separation of the particulate (>0.22 µm), colloidal (0.22 µm–1 kDa), and truly dissolved (<1 kDa) fractions of Fe was carried out. The total Fe concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 57 µM with Fe dominantly as particulate Fe. The loss of >99 % of particulate Fe and about 90 % of the colloidal Fe was observed across the shelf, while the truly dissolved phase was almost constant across the Laptev Sea. Thus, the truly dissolved Fe could be an important source of bioavailable Fe for plankton in the central Arctic Ocean, together with the colloidal Fe. Fe-isotope analysis showed that the particulate phase and the sediment below the Lena River freshwater plume had negative δ56Fe values (relative to IRMM-14). The colloidal Fe phase showed negative δ56Fe values close to the river mouth (about −0.20 ‰) and positive δ56Fe values in the outermost stations (about +0.10 ‰). We suggest that the shelf zone acts as a sink for Fe particles and colloids with negative δ56Fe values, representing chemically reactive ferrihydrites. The positive δ56Fe values of the colloidal phase within the outer Lena River freshwater plume might represent Fe oxyhydroxides, which remain in the water column, and will be the predominant δ56Fe composition in the Arctic Ocean.

scholarly journals Fate of terrigenous organic matter across the Laptev Sea from the mouth of the Lena River to the deep sea of the Arctic interior

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Bröder ◽  
Tommaso Tesi ◽  
Joan A. Salvadó ◽  
Igor P. Semiletov ◽  
Oleg V. Dudarev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Water Depth ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
River Mouth ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Laptev Sea ◽  
Climate Feedbacks ◽  
Lena River ◽  
Lignin Phenols ◽  
Future Work

Abstract. Ongoing global warming in high latitudes may cause an increasing supply of permafrost-derived organic carbon through both river discharge and coastal erosion to the Arctic shelves. Here it can be either buried in sediments, transported to the deep sea or degraded to CO2 and outgassed, potentially constituting a positive feedback to climate change. This study aims to assess the fate of terrestrial organic carbon (TerrOC) in the Arctic marine environment by exploring how it changes in concentration, composition and degradation status across the wide Laptev Sea shelf. We analyzed a suite of terrestrial biomarkers as well as source-diagnostic bulk carbon isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C) in surface sediments from a Laptev Sea transect spanning more than 800 km from the Lena River mouth (~ 10 m water depth) across the shelf to the slope and rise (2000–3000 m water depth). These data provide a broad view on different TerrOC pools and their behavior during cross-shelf transport. The concentrations of lignin phenols, cutin acids and high-molecular weight (HMW) wax lipids (tracers of vascular plants) decrease by 89–99 % along the transect. Molecular-based degradation proxies for TerrOC (e.g., the carbon preference index of HMW lipids, the HMW acids/alkanes ratio and the acid/aldehyde ratio of lignin phenols) display a trend to more degraded TerrOC with increasing distance from the coast. We infer that the degree of degradation of permafrost-derived TerrOC is a function of the time spent under oxic conditions during protracted cross-shelf transport. Future work should therefore seek to constrain cross-shelf transport times in order to compute a TerrOC degradation rate and thereby help to quantify potential carbon-climate feedbacks.

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