Methane emissions from subglacial meltwater of three alpine glaciers in Yukon, Canada ...

• Main Authors: Sapper, Sarah Elise, Jørgensen, Christian Juncher, Schroll, Moritz, Keppler, Frank, Christiansen, Jesper Riis
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Taylor & Francis 2023
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Pharmacology; Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified; Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified; Ecology; FOS: Biological sciences; Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified; Yukon; Canada; Greenland; glacier*; Iceland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24794179; https://tandf.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Methane_emissions_from_subglacial_meltwater_of_three_alpine_glaciers_in_Yukon_Canada/24794179

Subglacial meltwater of land-terminating glaciers in Greenland and Iceland are sources of methane (CH 4 ) to the atmosphere, but sparse empirical data exist about the spatial distribution of subglacial CH 4 production and emission from glaciers in other regions of the world. This study presents the first measurements of CH 4 emissions from the subglacial meltwater of three outlet glaciers of the St. Elias Mountains in Yukon, Canada. Dissolved CH 4 concentrations were highly elevated at 45, 135, and 250 times compared to the atmospheric equilibrium concentration in the meltwater of Dusty, Kluane, and Donjek glaciers, respectively. Dissolved CO 2 concentrations were depleted relative to the atmospheric equilibrium. This points to the meltwater being a source of CH 4 and a sink of CO 2 . Stable carbon ( 13 C) and hydrogen ( 2 H) isotopic signatures of the subglacial CH 4 were depleted compared to atmospheric CH 4 at all sites, indicating both biotic and abiotic sources and possible alteration from bacterial CH ...