Warming Effects of Spring Rainfall Increase Methane Emissions From Thawing Permafrost

Neumann, Rebecca B.; Moorberg, Colby J.; Lundquist, Jessica D.; Turner, Jesse C.; Waldrop, Mark P.; McFarland, Jack W.; Euskirchen, Eugenie S.; Edgar, Colin W.; Turetsky, Merritt R.

doi:10.1029/2018gl081274

Warming Effects of Spring Rainfall Increase Methane Emissions From Thawing Permafrost

Journal Article · Wed Jan 02 23:00:00 EST 2019 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl081274· OSTI ID:1611395

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; Turner, Jesse C. ^[3]; ^[4]; McFarland, Jack W. ^[4]; Euskirchen, Eugenie S. ^[5]; Edgar, Colin W. ^[5]; Turetsky, Merritt R. ^[6]

Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); DOE/OSTI
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS (United States)
Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
USGS Western Region, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
Univ. of Guelph, ON (Canada)

Methane emissions regulate the near-term global warming potential of permafrost thaw, particularly where loss of ice-rich permafrost converts forest and tundra into wetlands. Northern latitudes are expected to get warmer and wetter, and while there is consensus that warming will increase thaw and methane emissions, effects of increased precipitation are uncertain. At a thawing wetland complex in Interior Alaska, we found that interactions between rain and deep soil temperatures controlled methane emissions. In rainy years, recharge from the watershed rapidly altered wetland soil temperatures, warming the top ~80cm of soil in spring and summer and cooling it in autumn. When soils were warmed by spring rainfall, methane emissions increased by ~30%. The warm, deep soils early in the growing season likely supported both microbial and plant processes that enhanced emissions. Finally, our study identifies an important and unconsidered role of rain in governing the radiative forcing of thawing permafrost landscapes.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0010338

OSTI ID:: 1611395

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1493385

Journal Information:: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 46; ISSN 0094-8276

Publisher:: American Geophysical UnionCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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