Topic
Permafrost research, explained
5 open-access permafrost studies, each with a flashcard deck and a quiz.
- Aged permafrost carbon surged in Arctic rivers in 2018
June 2018 Mackenzie basin rivers exported previously modern-looking DOC that was suddenly centuries old, with a nitrate spike, then modern again in 2019.
- Old permafrost carbon dumps just offshore
Eroding Arctic coasts drop ancient organic carbon into a 100–300 m nearshore strip, while farther surface waters carry younger carbon.
- Greenland active-layer soils eat permafrost VOCs
Active-layer soils from Disko Island and Kangerlussuaq consume most tested VOCs, likely microbially, before they can escape to the air.
- Dark permafrost peat takes up nitrous oxide
A nutrient-poor Swedish permafrost peatland mostly consumes N2O at night or under a tarp, but emits a little when sunlit.
- Arctic shallows trap permafrost plant carbon
The 0–5 m Arctic coastal zone holds most coarse, plant-debris terrestrial organic carbon from thawing permafrost before the shelf sees mainly fine mineral-bound carbon.