HR: 0830h
AN: C21B-0812    [PDF]
TI: Comparison of Methane Content in Upper Permafrost of Eastern Siberia and Alaska
AU: * Brouchkov, A
EM: anatoli@nenp.hokudai.ac.jp
AF: Research Center for North Eurasia and North Pacific Regions Hokkaido University, Japan, W8 N9, Kita-ku, Hokkaido, Sapporo, 060-0809 Japan
AU: Fukuda, M
EM: mfukuda@pop.lowtem.hokudai.ac.jp
AF: Research Center for North Eurasia and North Pacific Regions Hokkaido University, Japan, W8 N9, Kita-ku, Hokkaido, Sapporo, 060-0809 Japan
AB: Due to significance of methane contribution to greenhouse effect its concentration in permafrost is an important issue; thawing of the frozen ground could affect the global carbon cycle to a substantial degree. Experiments show a potential chance of methane production in permafrost; however, importance of the process for forecast of methane content in frozen soils is problematical. Amount of methane trapped in permafrost is generally poorly studied; for the first time a comparison of methane content of marine and continental permafrost deposits was made. Gas samples were collected from frozen alluvial deposits from upper permafrost of Lena river valley, Eastern Siberia, and from marine deposits of Barrow, Alaska. Ice wedges and mineral soils were investigated. Maximum methane content was found in frozen soils of continental alas deposits (up to 70000 ppmv in air bubbles); however, frozen marine deposits contain large amount methane. Methane concentration up to 12000 ppmv was found in air bubbles of ice wedges of alluvial deposits in Fairbanks region, Alaska. There was no correlation found between the methane content and depth; however, thawed in past and now frozen soils contain almost no methane; therefore, methane can be easily lost due to thawing of deposits.
DE: 0322 Constituent sources and sinks
DE: 0400 Biogeosciences
DE: 1045 Low-temperature geochemistry
DE: 1615 Biogeochemical processes (4805)
DE: 1823 Frozen ground
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting