The degradation of coastal permafrost and the organic carbon balance of the Laptev and East Siberian seas

• Main Authors: Grigoriev, Mikhail N., Rachold, Volker
• Other Authors: Phillips, Marcia, Springman, Sarah M., Arenson, Lukas U.
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Balkema 2003
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Ice; laptev; permafrost
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/27305/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/27305/1/2003_Grigoriev-Rachold-Degradation_Permafrost-Chapter_058.pdf; http://research.iarc.uaf.edu/NICOP/DVD/ICOP%202003%20Permafrost/Pdf/Chapter_058.pdf

Coastal erosion plays an important role in the sediment and organic carbon balance of the Arctic Ocean. Based on new data, the present paper evaluates coastal dynamics of the Laptev and East Siberian Seas. These coasts consist of many different types of sediments including ice-rich deposits, which are characterised by extremely high ice-content, rapid coastal retreat and high concentrations of organic matter. For the studied area the volume of eroded coastal sediment exceeds the river sediment discharge. Based on the estimates of coastal sediment input and on average organic carbon concentrations of the coastal sections, the total organic carbon (TOC) supplied to the Laptev and East Siberian Seas by coastal erosion can be quantified as ca. 4x10hoch6 t/yr. Other European, Asian and American Arctic Seas are characterised by considerably lower coastal organic carbon input.