Current rates and mechanisms of subsea permafrost degradation in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf

Shakhova, Natalia; Semiletov, Igor; Gustafsson, Orjan; Sergienko, Valentin; Lobkovsky, Leopold; Dudarev, Oleg; Tumskoy, Vladimir; Grigoriev, Michael; Mazurov, Alexey; Salyuk, Anatoly; Ananiev, Roman; Koshurnikov, Andrey; Kosmach, Denis; Charkin, Alexander; Dmitrevsky, Nicolay; Karnaukh, Victor; Gunar, Alexey; Meluzov, Alexander; Chernykh, Denis

doi:10.1038/ncomms15872

i

Current rates and mechanisms of subsea permafrost degradation in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf

2017
By Shakhova, Natalia ; Semiletov, Igor ; Gustafsson, Orjan ; ...

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Journal Title:

Nature Communications
Personal Author:

Shakhova, Natalia ; Semiletov, Igor ; Gustafsson, Orjan ; Sergienko, Valentin ; Lobkovsky, Leopold ; Dudarev, Oleg ; Tumskoy, Vladimir ; Grigoriev, Michael ; Mazurov, Alexey ; Salyuk, Anatoly ; Ananiev, Roman ; Koshurnikov, Andrey ; Kosmach, Denis ; Charkin, Alexander ; Dmitrevsky, Nicolay ; Karnaukh, Victor ; Gunar, Alexey ; Meluzov, Alexander ; Chernykh, Denis
NOAA Program & Office:

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; CPO (Climate Program Office)
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.
Keywords:

Carbon Cycle (Biogeochemistry) Climate Change Permafrost Carbon Cycle (Biogeochemistry) Climate Change
Source:

Nature Communications 8 (15872)
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15872
Pubmed Central ID:

PMC5489687
Document Type:

Journal Article
Funding:

Grant no. Na08oar4600758
Place as Subject:

Siberia
Rights Information:

CC BY
Compliance:

PMC
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:2cc58ae7711b3040dc1e8c04d29323b6f52ae673e8691512e4e1f92c8f8be513ea668e725658d272c2543d1250a9ddbf3734a2f5e23dd2436baecedf8fbe1011
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/24139/noaa_24139_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 2.56 MB ]

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