Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic
The changing climate in the Arctic has a profound impact on permafrost coasts, which are subject to intensified thermokarst formation and erosion. Consequently, terrestrial organic matter (OM) is mobilized and transported into the nearshore zone. Yet, little is known about the fate of mobilized OM b...
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Online Access: | https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/1/Tanskietal2017.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625.d001 |
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ftawi:oai:epic.awi.de:43136 2024-09-15T17:51:47+00:00 Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic Tanski, George Lantuit, Hugues Ruttor, Saskia Knoblauch, Christian Radosavljevic, Boris Strauss, Jens Wolter, Juliane Irrgang, Anna Ramage, Justine Fritz, Michael 2017-01-11 application/pdf https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/1/Tanskietal2017.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625.d001 unknown ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/1/Tanskietal2017.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625.d001 Tanski, G. , Lantuit, H. orcid:0000-0003-1497-6760 , Ruttor, S. , Knoblauch, C. , Radosavljevic, B. orcid:0000-0001-6095-9078 , Strauss, J. orcid:0000-0003-4678-4982 , Wolter, J. orcid:0000-0001-6179-7621 , Irrgang, A. orcid:0000-0002-8158-9675 , Ramage, J. and Fritz, M. orcid:0000-0003-4591-7325 (2017) Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic , Science of The Total Environment, 581-58 (-), pp. 434-447 . doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152> , hdl:10013/epic.49625 EPIC3Science of The Total Environment, ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 581-58(-), pp. 434-447, ISSN: 0048-9697 Article isiRev 2017 ftawi https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152 2024-06-24T04:16:35Z The changing climate in the Arctic has a profound impact on permafrost coasts, which are subject to intensified thermokarst formation and erosion. Consequently, terrestrial organic matter (OM) is mobilized and transported into the nearshore zone. Yet, little is known about the fate of mobilized OM before and after entering the ocean. In this study we investigated a retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) on Qikiqtaruk - Herschel Island (Yukon coast, Canada). The RTS was classified into an undisturbed, a disturbed (thermokarst-affected) and a nearshore zone and sampled systematically along transects. Samples were analyzed for total and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (TOC, DOC, TN, DN), stable carbon isotopes (δ13C-TOC, δ13C-DOC), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), which were compared between the zones. C/N-ratios, δ13C signatures, and ammonium (NH4-N) concentrations were used as indicators for OM degradation along with biomarkers (n-alkanes, n-fatty acids, n-alcohols). Our results show that OM significantly decreases after disturbance with a TOC and DOC loss of 77 and 55% and a TN and DN loss of 53 and 48%, respectively. C/N-ratios decrease significantly, whereas NH4-N concentrations slightly increase in freshly thawed material. In the nearshore zone, OM contents are comparable to the disturbed zone. We suggest that the strong decrease in OM is caused by initial dilution with melted massive ice and immediate offshore transport via the thaw stream. In the mudpool and thaw stream, OM is subject to degradation, whereas in the slump floor the nitrogen decrease is caused by recolonizing vegetation. Within the nearshore zone of the ocean, heavier portions of OM are directly buried in marine sediments close to shore. We conclude that RTS have profound impacts on coastal environments in the Arctic. They mobilize nutrients from permafrost, substantially decrease OM contents and provide fresh water and nutrients at a point source. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Herschel Herschel Island Ice permafrost Thermokarst Yukon Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) Science of The Total Environment 581-582 434 447 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar- and Marine Research (AWI): ePIC (electronic Publication Information Center) |
op_collection_id |
ftawi |
language |
unknown |
description |
The changing climate in the Arctic has a profound impact on permafrost coasts, which are subject to intensified thermokarst formation and erosion. Consequently, terrestrial organic matter (OM) is mobilized and transported into the nearshore zone. Yet, little is known about the fate of mobilized OM before and after entering the ocean. In this study we investigated a retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) on Qikiqtaruk - Herschel Island (Yukon coast, Canada). The RTS was classified into an undisturbed, a disturbed (thermokarst-affected) and a nearshore zone and sampled systematically along transects. Samples were analyzed for total and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (TOC, DOC, TN, DN), stable carbon isotopes (δ13C-TOC, δ13C-DOC), and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), which were compared between the zones. C/N-ratios, δ13C signatures, and ammonium (NH4-N) concentrations were used as indicators for OM degradation along with biomarkers (n-alkanes, n-fatty acids, n-alcohols). Our results show that OM significantly decreases after disturbance with a TOC and DOC loss of 77 and 55% and a TN and DN loss of 53 and 48%, respectively. C/N-ratios decrease significantly, whereas NH4-N concentrations slightly increase in freshly thawed material. In the nearshore zone, OM contents are comparable to the disturbed zone. We suggest that the strong decrease in OM is caused by initial dilution with melted massive ice and immediate offshore transport via the thaw stream. In the mudpool and thaw stream, OM is subject to degradation, whereas in the slump floor the nitrogen decrease is caused by recolonizing vegetation. Within the nearshore zone of the ocean, heavier portions of OM are directly buried in marine sediments close to shore. We conclude that RTS have profound impacts on coastal environments in the Arctic. They mobilize nutrients from permafrost, substantially decrease OM contents and provide fresh water and nutrients at a point source. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tanski, George Lantuit, Hugues Ruttor, Saskia Knoblauch, Christian Radosavljevic, Boris Strauss, Jens Wolter, Juliane Irrgang, Anna Ramage, Justine Fritz, Michael |
spellingShingle |
Tanski, George Lantuit, Hugues Ruttor, Saskia Knoblauch, Christian Radosavljevic, Boris Strauss, Jens Wolter, Juliane Irrgang, Anna Ramage, Justine Fritz, Michael Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic |
author_facet |
Tanski, George Lantuit, Hugues Ruttor, Saskia Knoblauch, Christian Radosavljevic, Boris Strauss, Jens Wolter, Juliane Irrgang, Anna Ramage, Justine Fritz, Michael |
author_sort |
Tanski, George |
title |
Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic |
title_short |
Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic |
title_full |
Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic |
title_fullStr |
Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic |
title_full_unstemmed |
Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic |
title_sort |
transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the arctic |
publisher |
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/ https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/1/Tanskietal2017.pdf https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625 https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625.d001 |
genre |
Arctic Herschel Herschel Island Ice permafrost Thermokarst Yukon |
genre_facet |
Arctic Herschel Herschel Island Ice permafrost Thermokarst Yukon |
op_source |
EPIC3Science of The Total Environment, ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 581-58(-), pp. 434-447, ISSN: 0048-9697 |
op_relation |
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/43136/1/Tanskietal2017.pdf https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.49625.d001 Tanski, G. , Lantuit, H. orcid:0000-0003-1497-6760 , Ruttor, S. , Knoblauch, C. , Radosavljevic, B. orcid:0000-0001-6095-9078 , Strauss, J. orcid:0000-0003-4678-4982 , Wolter, J. orcid:0000-0001-6179-7621 , Irrgang, A. orcid:0000-0002-8158-9675 , Ramage, J. and Fritz, M. orcid:0000-0003-4591-7325 (2017) Transformation of terrestrial organic matter along thermokarst-affected permafrost coasts in the Arctic , Science of The Total Environment, 581-58 (-), pp. 434-447 . doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152> , hdl:10013/epic.49625 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.152 |
container_title |
Science of The Total Environment |
container_volume |
581-582 |
container_start_page |
434 |
op_container_end_page |
447 |
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1810293783999283200 |