A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback
© 2015 The Authors. We present an approach to estimate the feedback from large-scale thawing of permafrost soils using a simplified, data-constrained model that combines three elements: soil carbon (C) maps and profiles to identify the distribution and type of C in permafrost soils; incubation exper...
Published in: | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |
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ftcdlib:qt7t14r7vv 2023-05-15T17:56:29+02:00 A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback Koven, CD Schuur, EAG Schädel, C Bohn, TJ Burke, EJ Chen, G Chen, X Ciais, P Grosse, G Harden, JW Hayes, DJ Hugelius, G Jafarov, EE Krinner, G Kuhry, P Lawrence, DM MacDougall, AH Marchenko, SS McGuire, AD Natali, SM Nicolsky, DJ Olefeldt, D Peng, S Romanovsky, VE Schaefer, KM Strauss, J Treat, CC Turetsky, M 2015-11-13 application/pdf http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7t14r7vv english eng eScholarship, University of California qt7t14r7vv http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7t14r7vv public Koven, CD; Schuur, EAG; Schädel, C; Bohn, TJ; Burke, EJ; Chen, G; et al.(2015). A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 373(2054). doi:10.1098/rsta.2014.0423. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7t14r7vv article 2015 ftcdlib https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0423 2018-06-29T22:51:41Z © 2015 The Authors. We present an approach to estimate the feedback from large-scale thawing of permafrost soils using a simplified, data-constrained model that combines three elements: soil carbon (C) maps and profiles to identify the distribution and type of C in permafrost soils; incubation experiments to quantify the rates of C lost after thaw; and models of soil thermal dynamics in response to climate warming. We call the approach the Permafrost Carbon Network Incubation-Panarctic Thermal scaling approach (PInc-PanTher). The approach assumes that C stocks do not decompose at all when frozen, but once thawed follow set decomposition trajectories as a function of soil temperature. The trajectories are determined according to a three-pool decomposition model fitted to incubation data using parameters specific to soil horizon types. We calculate litterfall C inputs required to maintain steady-state C balance for the current climate, and hold those inputs constant. Soil temperatures are taken from the soil thermal modules of ecosystem model simulations forced by a common set of future climate change anomalies under two warming scenarios over the period 2010 to 2100. Under a medium warming scenario (RCP4.5), the approach projects permafrost soil C losses of 12.2-33.4 Pg C; under a high warming scenario (RCP8.5), the approach projects C losses of 27.9-112.6 Pg C. Projected C losses are roughly linearly proportional to global temperature changes across the two scenarios. These results indicate a global sensitivity of frozen soil C to climate change (γ sensitivity) of -14 to -19 PgC°C-1on a 100 year time scale. For CH4emissions, our approach assumes a fixed saturated area and that increases in CH4emissions are related to increased heterotrophic respiration in anoxic soil, yielding CH4emission increases of 7% and 35% for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, which add an additional greenhouse gas forcing of approximately 10-18%. The simplified approach presented here neglects many important processes that may amplify or mitigate C release from permafrost soils, but serves as a data-constrained estimate on the forced, large-scale permafrost C response to warming. Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost University of California: eScholarship Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 373 2054 20140423 |
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Open Polar |
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University of California: eScholarship |
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ftcdlib |
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English |
description |
© 2015 The Authors. We present an approach to estimate the feedback from large-scale thawing of permafrost soils using a simplified, data-constrained model that combines three elements: soil carbon (C) maps and profiles to identify the distribution and type of C in permafrost soils; incubation experiments to quantify the rates of C lost after thaw; and models of soil thermal dynamics in response to climate warming. We call the approach the Permafrost Carbon Network Incubation-Panarctic Thermal scaling approach (PInc-PanTher). The approach assumes that C stocks do not decompose at all when frozen, but once thawed follow set decomposition trajectories as a function of soil temperature. The trajectories are determined according to a three-pool decomposition model fitted to incubation data using parameters specific to soil horizon types. We calculate litterfall C inputs required to maintain steady-state C balance for the current climate, and hold those inputs constant. Soil temperatures are taken from the soil thermal modules of ecosystem model simulations forced by a common set of future climate change anomalies under two warming scenarios over the period 2010 to 2100. Under a medium warming scenario (RCP4.5), the approach projects permafrost soil C losses of 12.2-33.4 Pg C; under a high warming scenario (RCP8.5), the approach projects C losses of 27.9-112.6 Pg C. Projected C losses are roughly linearly proportional to global temperature changes across the two scenarios. These results indicate a global sensitivity of frozen soil C to climate change (γ sensitivity) of -14 to -19 PgC°C-1on a 100 year time scale. For CH4emissions, our approach assumes a fixed saturated area and that increases in CH4emissions are related to increased heterotrophic respiration in anoxic soil, yielding CH4emission increases of 7% and 35% for the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, which add an additional greenhouse gas forcing of approximately 10-18%. The simplified approach presented here neglects many important processes that may amplify or mitigate C release from permafrost soils, but serves as a data-constrained estimate on the forced, large-scale permafrost C response to warming. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Koven, CD Schuur, EAG Schädel, C Bohn, TJ Burke, EJ Chen, G Chen, X Ciais, P Grosse, G Harden, JW Hayes, DJ Hugelius, G Jafarov, EE Krinner, G Kuhry, P Lawrence, DM MacDougall, AH Marchenko, SS McGuire, AD Natali, SM Nicolsky, DJ Olefeldt, D Peng, S Romanovsky, VE Schaefer, KM Strauss, J Treat, CC Turetsky, M |
spellingShingle |
Koven, CD Schuur, EAG Schädel, C Bohn, TJ Burke, EJ Chen, G Chen, X Ciais, P Grosse, G Harden, JW Hayes, DJ Hugelius, G Jafarov, EE Krinner, G Kuhry, P Lawrence, DM MacDougall, AH Marchenko, SS McGuire, AD Natali, SM Nicolsky, DJ Olefeldt, D Peng, S Romanovsky, VE Schaefer, KM Strauss, J Treat, CC Turetsky, M A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback |
author_facet |
Koven, CD Schuur, EAG Schädel, C Bohn, TJ Burke, EJ Chen, G Chen, X Ciais, P Grosse, G Harden, JW Hayes, DJ Hugelius, G Jafarov, EE Krinner, G Kuhry, P Lawrence, DM MacDougall, AH Marchenko, SS McGuire, AD Natali, SM Nicolsky, DJ Olefeldt, D Peng, S Romanovsky, VE Schaefer, KM Strauss, J Treat, CC Turetsky, M |
author_sort |
Koven, CD |
title |
A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback |
title_short |
A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback |
title_full |
A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback |
title_fullStr |
A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback |
title_full_unstemmed |
A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback |
title_sort |
simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7t14r7vv |
genre |
permafrost |
genre_facet |
permafrost |
op_source |
Koven, CD; Schuur, EAG; Schädel, C; Bohn, TJ; Burke, EJ; Chen, G; et al.(2015). A simplified, data-constrained approach to estimate the permafrost carbon-climate feedback. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 373(2054). doi:10.1098/rsta.2014.0423. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Retrieved from: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7t14r7vv |
op_relation |
qt7t14r7vv http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/7t14r7vv |
op_rights |
public |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0423 |
container_title |
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |
container_volume |
373 |
container_issue |
2054 |
container_start_page |
20140423 |
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1766164669712564224 |