z-logo
Premium
Evidence for permafrost thaw and transport from an Alaskan North Slope watershed
Author(s) -
Schreiner Kathryn M.,
Bianchi Thomas S.,
Rosenheim Brad E.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl059514
Subject(s) - permafrost , tundra , thermokarst , geology , radiocarbon dating , peat , arctic , carbon cycle , watershed , pleistocene , terrigenous sediment , earth science , oceanography , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental science , geomorphology , sediment , ecosystem , paleontology , ecology , geotechnical engineering , machine learning , computer science , biology
Abstract Burial of organic carbon (OC) in marine sediments is one of the most important linkages between the short‐term biologic carbon cycle and the long‐term geologic carbon cycle. Yet much is still unknown about the fate of terrigenous OC in marine coastal margins. Here the delivery of particulate OC (POC) to the Colville River deltaic region in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea by particulates of varying densities is studied through the use of ramped temperature pyrolysis and radiocarbon analyses. The Colville River is the largest river in North America whose watershed is underlain completely by high Arctic permafrost tundra. A variety of sources of POC are considered, including terrestrial soils, Pleistocene‐aged yedoma‐like sediments, coastal peat erosion, and marine POC. We provide the first evidence that riverine POC from the Colville River contains old (Pleistocene‐sourced) OC, suggesting ongoing thaw and mobilization of yedoma‐like permafrost OC from this northern Alaskan watershed. Additionally, much of this OC appears to be fairly labile and therefore could be readily oxidized and returned to the atmosphere.

This content is not available in your region!

Continue researching here.

Having issues? You can contact us here