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Title: Geographic and seasonal variation of dissolved methane and aerobic methane oxidation in Alaskan lakes

Journal Article · · Biogeosciences (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [1]
  1. Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Inst. (Cinvestav), Mexico City (Mexico); Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK (United States). Water and Environmental Research Center
  2. Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK (United States). Water and Environmental Research Center
  3. Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK (United States). Water and Environmental Research Centerv

Methanotrophic bacteria play an important role oxidizing a significant fraction of methane (CH4) produced in lakes. Aerobic CH4 oxidation depends mainly on lake CH4 and oxygen (O2) concentrations, in such a manner that higher MO rates are usually found at the oxic/anoxic interface, where both molecules are present. MO also depends on temperature, and via methanogenesis, on organic carbon input to lakes, including from thawing permafrost in thermokarst (thaw)-affected lakes. Given the large variability in these environmental factors, CH4 oxidation is expected to be subject to large seasonal and geographic variations, which have been scarcely reported in the literature. In the present study, we measured CH4 oxidation rates in 30 Alaskan lakes along a north-south latitudinal transect during winter and summer with a new field laser spectroscopy method. Additionally, we measured dissolved CH4 and O2 concentrations. Here, we found that in the winter, aerobic CH4 oxidation was mainly controlled by the dissolved O2 concentration, while in the summer it was controlled primarily by the CH4 concentration, which was scarce compared to dissolved O2. The permafrost environment of the lakes was identified as another key factor. Thermokarst (thaw) lakes formed in yedoma-type permafrost had significantly higher CH4 oxidation rates compared to other thermokarst and non-thermokarst lakes formed in non-yedoma permafrost environments. As thermokarst lakes formed in yedoma-type permafrost have been identified to receive large quantities of terrestrial organic carbon from thaw and subsidence of the surrounding landscape into the lake, confirming the strong coupling between terrestrial and aquatic habitats and its influence on CH4 cycling.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK (United States). Water and Environmental Research Center
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0006920; 330197/233369; 206621/203709
OSTI ID:
1441151
Journal Information:
Biogeosciences (Online), Vol. 12, Issue 15; ISSN 1726-4189
Publisher:
European Geosciences UnionCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 61 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (24)

Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from thermokarst lakes on mineral soils journal December 2018
Methane oxidation kinetics in northern freshwater lakes journal February 2019
Reviews and syntheses: Effects of permafrost thaw on Arctic aquatic ecosystems journal January 2015
Methane turnover and methanotrophic communities in arctic aquatic ecosystems of the Lena Delta, Northeast Siberia journal May 2016
Carbon Dioxide and Methane Dynamics in a Small Boreal Lake During Winter and Spring Melt Events journal August 2018
Methane oxidation at the water-ice interface of an ice-covered lake: Methane oxidation at the water-ice interface journal March 2016
Diversity and potential activity of methanotrophs in high methane-emitting permafrost thaw ponds journal November 2017
Methane production increases with warming and carbon additions to incubated sediments from a semiarid reservoir text January 2018
Reviews and Syntheses: Effects of permafrost thaw on arctic aquatic ecosystems journal January 2015
Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from 40 lakes along a north–south latitudinal transect in Alaska journal January 2014
The Extent and Regulation of Summer Methane Oxidation in Northern Lakes journal October 2018
First evidence for cold-adapted anaerobic oxidation of methane in deep sediments of thermokarst lakes journal March 2019
Methane production increases with warming and carbon additions to incubated sediments from a semiarid reservoir text January 2018
Methane and carbon dioxide emissions from 40 lakes along a north–south latitudinal transect in Alaska journal January 2015
A synthesis of carbon dioxide and methane dynamics during the ice-covered period of northern lakes: Under-ice CO journal April 2018
Seasonal Sources of Whole‐Lake CH 4 and CO 2 Emissions From Interior Alaskan Thermokarst Lakes journal May 2019
Assessment of methane and carbon dioxide emissions in two sub-basins of a small acidic bog lake artificially divided 30 years ago journal September 2018
LAKE 2.0: a model for temperature, methane, carbon dioxide and oxygen dynamics in lakes posted_content February 2016
A simple model for the numerical characterization of spatiotemporal variability in aquatic ecosystems journal July 2019
Methane production increases with warming and carbon additions to incubated sediments from a semiarid reservoir journal January 2018
Sub-oxycline methane oxidation can fully uptake CH4 produced in sediments: case study of a lake in Siberia journal February 2020
Winter Accumulation of Methane and its Variable Timing of Release from Thermokarst Lakes in Subarctic Peatlands journal November 2019
Exceptional summer warming leads to contrasting outcomes for methane cycling in small Arctic lakes of Greenland journal January 2017
LAKE 2.0: a model for temperature, methane, carbon dioxide and oxygen dynamics in lakes journal January 2016

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