Multiple Ecosystem Effects of Extreme Weather Events in the Arctic

Abstract The Arctic is getting warmer and wetter. Here, we document two independent examples of how associated extreme precipitation patterns have severe implications for high Arctic ecosystems. The events stand out in a 23-year record of continuous observations of a wide range of ecosystem paramete...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecosystems
Main Authors: Christensen, T. R., Lund, M., Skov, K., Abermann, J., López-Blanco, E., Scheller, J., Scheel, M., Jackowicz-Korczynski, M., Langley, K., Murphy, M. J., Mastepanov, M.
Other Authors: Greenland Self Government, Danish Ministry of Environment and Food, Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2020
Subjects:
Ecology
Environmental Chemistry
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Arctic
Greenland
Thermokarst
Tundra
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10021-020-00507-6
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10021-020-00507-6.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10021-020-00507-6/fulltext.html
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Summary:Abstract The Arctic is getting warmer and wetter. Here, we document two independent examples of how associated extreme precipitation patterns have severe implications for high Arctic ecosystems. The events stand out in a 23-year record of continuous observations of a wide range of ecosystem parameters and act as an early indication of conditions projected to increase in the future. In NE Greenland, August 2015, one-quarter of the average annual precipitation fell during a 9-day intensive rain event. This ranked number one for daily sums during the 1996–2018 period and caused a strong and prolonged reduction in solar radiation decreasing CO 2 uptake in the order of 18–23 g C m −2 , a reduction comparable to typical annual C budgets in Arctic tundra. In a different type of event, but also due to changed weather patterns, an extreme snow melt season in 2018 triggered a dramatic gully thermokarst causing rapid transformation in ecosystem functioning from consistent annual ecosystem CO 2 uptake and low methane exchange to highly elevated methane release, net source of CO 2 , and substantial export of organic carbon downstream as riverine and coastal input. In addition to climate warming alone, more frequent occurrence of extreme weather patterns will have large implications for otherwise undisturbed tundra ecosystems including their element transport and carbon interactions with the atmosphere and ocean.

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