Arctic lakes and streams as gas conduits to the atmosphere: Implications for tundra carbon budgets

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.251.4991.298· OSTI ID:5548646

Kling, G W ^[1]; Kipphut, G W ^[2]; Miller, M C ^[3]

---

1. The Ecosystems Center, Woods Hole, MA (USA)
2. Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, AK (USA)
3. Univ. of Cincinnati, OH (USA)

Arctic tundra has large amounts of stored carbon and is thought to be a sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) (0.1 to 0.3 petagram of carbon per year) (1 petagram = 10{sup 15} grams). But this estimate of carbon balance is only for terrestrial ecosystems. Measurements of the partial pressure of CO{sub 2} in 29 aquatic ecosystems across arctic Alaska showed that in most cases (27 of 29) CO{sub 2} was released to the atmosphere. This CO{sub 2} probably originates in terrestrial environments; erosion of particulate carbon plus ground-water transport of dissolved carbon from tundra contribute to the CO{sub 2} flux from surface waters to the atmosphere. If this mechanism is typical of that of other tundra areas, then current estimates of the arctic terrestrial sink for atmospheric CO{sub 2} may be 20 percent too high. 1 table, 2 figs., 21 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5548646
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Vol. 251:4991; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
ARCTIC REGIONS
ECOSYSTEMS
CARBON
CARBON DIOXIDE
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
TUNDRA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
DATA
ELEMENTS
INFORMATION
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLAR REGIONS
540120* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
010900 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects