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Current rates and mechanisms of subsea permafrost degradation in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf
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2017
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Source: Nature Communications 8 (15872)
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Journal Title:Nature Communications
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Description:The rates of subsea permafrost degradation and occurrence of gas-migration pathways are key factors controlling the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) methane (CH4) emissions, yet these factors still require assessment. It is thought that after inundation, permafrost-degradation rates would decrease over time and submerged thaw-lake taliks would freeze; therefore, no CH4 release would occur for millennia. Here we present results of the first comprehensive scientific re-drilling to show that subsea permafrost in the near-shore zone of the ESAS has a downward movement of the ice-bonded permafrost table of similar to 14 cm year(-1) over the past 31-32 years. Our data reveal polygonal thermokarst patterns on the seafloor and gas-migration associated with submerged taliks, ice scouring and pockmarks. Knowing the rate and mechanisms of subsea permafrost degradation is a prerequisite to meaningful predictions of near-future CH4 release in the Arctic.
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Source:Nature Communications 8 (15872)
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DOI:
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC5489687
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Rights Information:CC BY
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Compliance:PMC
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