Large emissions of CO2 and CH4 due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra

Torn, Margaret S.; Abramoff, Rose Z.; Vaughn, Lydia J. S.; Chafe, Oriana E.; Curtis, J. Bryan; Zhu, Biao

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-54990-9

Large emissions of CO₂ and CH₄ due to active-layer warming in Arctic tundra

Journal Article · Thu Jan 02 00:00:00 EST 2025 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54990-9· OSTI ID:2530320

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[4]; Curtis, J. Bryan ^[5]; ^[6]

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wintergreen Earth Science, Kennebunk, ME (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI), Richmond, CA (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); University of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Peking University, Beijing (China)

Climate warming may accelerate decomposition of Arctic soil carbon, but few controlled experiments have manipulated the entire active layer. To determine surface-atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane under anticipated end-of-century warming, here we used heating rods to warm (by 3.8 °C) to the depth of permafrost in polygonal tundra in $$Utqia\dot{g}vik$$ (formerly Barrow), Alaska and measured fluxes over two growing seasons. We show that ecosystem respiration is ~30% higher in warmed plots than in control plots (0.99 μmol m^-2 s^-1 versus 0.67 μmol m^-2 s^-1, p < 0.0001, n = 79). Additionally, the observed temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀ of 2.8) is higher than that imposed for soil in Earth system models or reported by arctic experiments warming only the surface. A shoulder-season warming experiment revealed that rapid snow melt, which is becoming a more common event, can result in large methane emissions that may have otherwise been oxidized to carbon dioxide. Thus, warming promotes greenhouse gas emissions from the whole, deepening active layer and may contribute to climate change amplification.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth & Environmental Systems Science (EESS)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 2530320

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 16; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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