Circumpolar distribution and carbon storage of thermokarst landscapes

D. Olefeldt; S. Goswami; G. Grosse; D. Hayes; G. Hugelius; P. Kuhry; A. D. McGuire; V. E. Romanovsky; A.B.K. Sannel; E.A.G. Schuur; M. R. Turetsky

doi:10.1038/ncomms13043

Nature Communications (Oct 2016)

Circumpolar distribution and carbon storage of thermokarst landscapes

D. Olefeldt,
S. Goswami,
G. Grosse,
D. Hayes,
G. Hugelius,
P. Kuhry,
A. D. McGuire,
V. E. Romanovsky,
A.B.K. Sannel,
E.A.G. Schuur,
M. R. Turetsky

Affiliations

D. Olefeldt: Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta
S. Goswami: Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
G. Grosse: Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
D. Hayes: School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, Orono
G. Hugelius: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University
P. Kuhry: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University
A. D. McGuire: U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Alaska Fairbanks
V. E. Romanovsky: Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks
A.B.K. Sannel: Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University
E.A.G. Schuur: Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University
M. R. Turetsky: Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13043
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

Read online

In thermokarst landscapes, permafrost thaw causes land subsidence with impacts on hydrology, ecology and biogeochemistry. Here, Olefeldt et al. produce circumpolar maps of thermokarst distribution, identifying that they cover 20% of the northern permafrost region, but store half the below-ground organic carbon.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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