Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf
Thawing subsea permafrost controls methane release from the Russian Arctic shelf having a considerable impact on the climate-sensitive Arctic environment. Expulsions of methane from shallow Russian Arctic shelf areas may continue to rise in response to intense degradation of relict subsea permafrost...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences |
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American Geophysical Union (AGU)
2014
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10037/26501 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002685 |
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ftunivtroemsoe:oai:munin.uit.no:10037/26501 2023-05-15T14:26:19+02:00 Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf Portnov, Aleksei D Mienert, Jurgen Serov, Pavel 2014-10-01 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/26501 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002685 eng eng American Geophysical Union (AGU) Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Biogeosciences Norges forskningsråd: 223259 Portnov AD, Mienert J, Serov P. Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf. Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Biogeosciences. 2014;119(11):2082-2094 FRIDAID 1198367 doi:10.1002/2014JG002685 2169-8953 2169-8961 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/26501 openAccess Copyright 2014 AGU Journal article Tidsskriftartikkel Peer reviewed publishedVersion 2014 ftunivtroemsoe https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002685 2022-08-31T23:00:12Z Thawing subsea permafrost controls methane release from the Russian Arctic shelf having a considerable impact on the climate-sensitive Arctic environment. Expulsions of methane from shallow Russian Arctic shelf areas may continue to rise in response to intense degradation of relict subsea permafrost. Here we show modeling of the permafrost evolution from the Late Pleistocene to present time at the West Yamal shelf. Modeling results suggest a highly dynamic permafrost system that directly responds to even minor variations of lower and upper boundary conditions, e.g., geothermal heat flux from below and/or bottom water temperature changes from above permafrost. Scenarios of permafrost evolution show a potentially nearest landward modern extent of the permafrost at the West Yamal shelf limited by ~17 m isobaths, whereas its farthest seaward extent coincides with ~100 m isobaths. The model also predicts seaward tapering of relict permafrost with a maximal thickness of 275–390 m near the shoreline. Previous field observations detected extensive emissions of free gas into the water column at the transition zone between today's shallow water permafrost (<20 m) and deeper water nonpermafrost areas (>20 m). The model adapts well to corresponding heat flux and ocean temperature data, providing crucial information about the modern permafrost conditions. It shows current locations of upper and lower permafrost boundaries and evidences for possible release of methane from the seabed to the hydrosphere in a warming Arctic. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic permafrost University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive Arctic Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 119 11 2082 2094 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Munin Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftunivtroemsoe |
language |
English |
description |
Thawing subsea permafrost controls methane release from the Russian Arctic shelf having a considerable impact on the climate-sensitive Arctic environment. Expulsions of methane from shallow Russian Arctic shelf areas may continue to rise in response to intense degradation of relict subsea permafrost. Here we show modeling of the permafrost evolution from the Late Pleistocene to present time at the West Yamal shelf. Modeling results suggest a highly dynamic permafrost system that directly responds to even minor variations of lower and upper boundary conditions, e.g., geothermal heat flux from below and/or bottom water temperature changes from above permafrost. Scenarios of permafrost evolution show a potentially nearest landward modern extent of the permafrost at the West Yamal shelf limited by ~17 m isobaths, whereas its farthest seaward extent coincides with ~100 m isobaths. The model also predicts seaward tapering of relict permafrost with a maximal thickness of 275–390 m near the shoreline. Previous field observations detected extensive emissions of free gas into the water column at the transition zone between today's shallow water permafrost (<20 m) and deeper water nonpermafrost areas (>20 m). The model adapts well to corresponding heat flux and ocean temperature data, providing crucial information about the modern permafrost conditions. It shows current locations of upper and lower permafrost boundaries and evidences for possible release of methane from the seabed to the hydrosphere in a warming Arctic. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Portnov, Aleksei D Mienert, Jurgen Serov, Pavel |
spellingShingle |
Portnov, Aleksei D Mienert, Jurgen Serov, Pavel Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf |
author_facet |
Portnov, Aleksei D Mienert, Jurgen Serov, Pavel |
author_sort |
Portnov, Aleksei D |
title |
Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf |
title_short |
Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf |
title_full |
Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf |
title_fullStr |
Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf |
title_full_unstemmed |
Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf |
title_sort |
modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the west yamal shelf |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union (AGU) |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/10037/26501 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002685 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Arctic permafrost |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic permafrost |
op_relation |
Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Biogeosciences Norges forskningsråd: 223259 Portnov AD, Mienert J, Serov P. Modeling the evolution of climate-sensitive Arctic subsea permafrost in regions of extensive gas expulsion at the West Yamal shelf. Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Biogeosciences. 2014;119(11):2082-2094 FRIDAID 1198367 doi:10.1002/2014JG002685 2169-8953 2169-8961 https://hdl.handle.net/10037/26501 |
op_rights |
openAccess Copyright 2014 AGU |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JG002685 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences |
container_volume |
119 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
2082 |
op_container_end_page |
2094 |
_version_ |
1766298822163562496 |