The impact of permafrost thawing on the carbon dynamics of tundra

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Waelbroeck, Claire, Monfray, Patrick, Oechel, Walter C., Hastings, S., Vourlitis, G.
• Other Authors: Centre des Faibles Radioactivités, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), San Diego State University (SDSU)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 1997
• Subjects: [SDU.OCEAN]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Ocean; Atmosphere; [SDU.ENVI]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Continental interfaces; environment; permafrost; Tundra
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02916149; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02916149/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02916149/file/97GL00071.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/97GL00071

International audience There is debate on the potential release of the tundra's immense carbon stocks into the atmosphere in response to global warming. We present here results obtained with a model of CO 2 exchanges, coupled to a model of the soil thermal and hydrological regime in the tundra. We show that, because of the partial thawing of permafrost and subsequent increase in nutrient availability, the ecosystem's response to warming may be a long-lasting increase in C accumulation, following a temporary increase in CO 2 emissions. Our study also provides a consistent picture of CO 2 exchanges in tundra ecosystems, reconciling the short-term experimental response to warming, recent field measurements, and Holocene C accumulation estimates.