Molecular-Multiproxy Assessment of Land-Derived Organic Matter Degradation Over Extensive Scales of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf Seas ...

Global warming triggers permafrost thaw, which increases the release of terrigenous organic matter (terr-OM) to the Arctic Ocean by coastal erosion and rivers. Terrigenous OM degradation in the Arctic Ocean contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and severe ocean acidification, yet the vulnerability...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Matsubara, Felipe, Wild, Birgit, Martens, Jannik, Andersson, August, Wennström, R., Bröder, Lisa, Dudarev, Oleg V., Semiletov, Igor, Gustafsson, Örjan
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: ETH Zurich 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://dx.doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000591862
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/591862
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Summary:Global warming triggers permafrost thaw, which increases the release of terrigenous organic matter (terr-OM) to the Arctic Ocean by coastal erosion and rivers. Terrigenous OM degradation in the Arctic Ocean contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and severe ocean acidification, yet the vulnerability of different terr-OM components is poorly resolved. Here, terr-OM degradation dynamics are studied with unprecedented spatial coverage over the World's largest shelf sea system—the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS), using a multi-proxy molecular biomarker approach. Mineral-surface-area-normalized concentrations of terr-OM compounds in surface sediments decreases offshore. Differences between terr-OM compound classes (lignin phenols, high-molecular weight [HMW] n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids and n-alkanols, sterols, 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acids, cutin acids) reflect contrasting influence of sources, propensity to microbial degradation and association with sedimenting particles, with lignin phenols disappearing 3-times ... : Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 36 (12) ...