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Permafrost Organic Carbon Mobilization From the Watershed to the Colville River Delta: Evidence From 14 C Ramped Pyrolysis and Lignin Biomarkers
Author(s) -
Zhang Xiaowen,
Bianchi Thomas S.,
Cui Xingqian,
Rosenheim Brad E.,
Ping ChienLu,
Hanna Andrea J. M.,
Kanevskiy Mikhail,
Schreiner Kathryn M.,
Allison Mead A.
Publication year - 2017
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 - 10.1002/2017gl075543
Subject(s) - permafrost , geology , delta , soil water , deposition (geology) , thermokarst , arctic , river delta , total organic carbon , soil carbon , environmental science , organic matter , watershed , sorting , hydrology (agriculture) , oceanography , earth science , sediment , geomorphology , soil science , environmental chemistry , ecology , chemistry , geotechnical engineering , aerospace engineering , biology , computer science , engineering , programming language , machine learning
The deposition of terrestrial‐derived permafrost particulate organic carbon (POC) has been recorded in major Arctic river deltas. However, associated transport pathways of permafrost POC from the watershed to the coast have not been well constrained. Here we utilized a combination of ramped pyrolysis‐oxidation radiocarbon analysis (RPO 14 C) along with lignin biomarkers, to track the linkages between soils and river and delta sediments. Surface and deep soils showed distinct RPO thermographs which may be related to degradation and organo‐mineral interaction. Soil material in the bed load of the river channel was mostly derived from deep old permafrost. Both surface and deep soils were transported and deposited to the coast. Hydrodynamic sorting and barrier island protection played important roles in terrestrial‐derived permafrost POC deposition near the coast. On a large scale, ice processes (e.g., ice gauging and strudel scour) and ocean currents controlled the transport and distribution of permafrost POC on the Beaufort Shelf.