Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits
Here, northern circumpolar permafrost soils contain more than a third of the global soil organic carbon pool (SOC). The sensitivity of this carbon pool to a changing climate is a primary source of uncertainty in simulation–based climate projections. These projections, however, do not account for the...
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Online Access: | http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1481148 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1481148 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073823 |
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ftosti:oai:osti.gov:1481148 2023-07-30T04:06:16+02:00 Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits Shelef, Eitan Rowland, Joel C. Wilson, Cathy J. Hilley, G. E. Mishra, Umakant Altmann, Garrett L. Ping, Chien-Lu 2021-10-26 application/pdf http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1481148 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1481148 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073823 unknown http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1481148 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1481148 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073823 doi:10.1002/2017GL073823 2021 ftosti https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073823 2023-07-11T09:29:59Z Here, northern circumpolar permafrost soils contain more than a third of the global soil organic carbon pool (SOC). The sensitivity of this carbon pool to a changing climate is a primary source of uncertainty in simulation–based climate projections. These projections, however, do not account for the accumulation of soil deposits at the base of hillslopes (hill toes) and the influence of this accumulation on the distribution, sequestration, and decomposition of SOC in landscapes affected by permafrost. Here we combine topographic models with soil profile data and topographic analysis to evaluate the quantity and uncertainty of SOC mass stored in perennially frozen hill toe soil deposits. We show that in Alaska this SOC mass introduces an uncertainty that is >200% the state–wide estimates of SOC stocks (77 Pg C) and that a similarly large uncertainty may also pertain at a circumpolar scale. Soil sampling and geophysical imaging efforts that target hill toe deposits can help constrain this large uncertainty. Other/Unknown Material permafrost Alaska SciTec Connect (Office of Scientific and Technical Information - OSTI, U.S. Department of Energy) Target Hill ENVELOPE(-62.991,-62.991,-66.004,-66.004) Geophysical Research Letters 44 12 6134 6144 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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SciTec Connect (Office of Scientific and Technical Information - OSTI, U.S. Department of Energy) |
op_collection_id |
ftosti |
language |
unknown |
description |
Here, northern circumpolar permafrost soils contain more than a third of the global soil organic carbon pool (SOC). The sensitivity of this carbon pool to a changing climate is a primary source of uncertainty in simulation–based climate projections. These projections, however, do not account for the accumulation of soil deposits at the base of hillslopes (hill toes) and the influence of this accumulation on the distribution, sequestration, and decomposition of SOC in landscapes affected by permafrost. Here we combine topographic models with soil profile data and topographic analysis to evaluate the quantity and uncertainty of SOC mass stored in perennially frozen hill toe soil deposits. We show that in Alaska this SOC mass introduces an uncertainty that is >200% the state–wide estimates of SOC stocks (77 Pg C) and that a similarly large uncertainty may also pertain at a circumpolar scale. Soil sampling and geophysical imaging efforts that target hill toe deposits can help constrain this large uncertainty. |
author |
Shelef, Eitan Rowland, Joel C. Wilson, Cathy J. Hilley, G. E. Mishra, Umakant Altmann, Garrett L. Ping, Chien-Lu |
spellingShingle |
Shelef, Eitan Rowland, Joel C. Wilson, Cathy J. Hilley, G. E. Mishra, Umakant Altmann, Garrett L. Ping, Chien-Lu Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits |
author_facet |
Shelef, Eitan Rowland, Joel C. Wilson, Cathy J. Hilley, G. E. Mishra, Umakant Altmann, Garrett L. Ping, Chien-Lu |
author_sort |
Shelef, Eitan |
title |
Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits |
title_short |
Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits |
title_full |
Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits |
title_fullStr |
Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits |
title_full_unstemmed |
Large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits |
title_sort |
large uncertainty in permafrost carbon stocks due to hillslope soil deposits |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1481148 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1481148 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073823 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-62.991,-62.991,-66.004,-66.004) |
geographic |
Target Hill |
geographic_facet |
Target Hill |
genre |
permafrost Alaska |
genre_facet |
permafrost Alaska |
op_relation |
http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1481148 https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1481148 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073823 doi:10.1002/2017GL073823 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073823 |
container_title |
Geophysical Research Letters |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
6134 |
op_container_end_page |
6144 |
_version_ |
1772818779010498560 |