Energy and mass changes of the Eurasian permafrost regions by multi-satellite and in-situ measurements

Reginald R Muskett,V E Romanovsky

doi:10.4236/ns.2011.310108

Abstract

We investigate changes in total water equivalent mass, land-surface temperature and atmospheric CO2 by satellite-based measurements from August 2002 through December 2008. Our region of interest spans 75 to 165°E and 50 to 80oN centered on the Lena River watershed as a physical reference frame. We find energy and mass changes on the continuous and discontinuous permafrost zones indicating: 1) Arctic uplands such as the Siberian Plateau show strongly positive water equivalent mass and strongly negative land-surface temperature gradients during May months. 2) Arctic lowlands such as the thaw-lake regions of Kolyma, Lena Delta, and Taymyr show strongly negative water equivalent mass and strongly positive land-surface temperature gradients during September months. 3) Areas with strongly positive water equivalent mass and negative land-surface temperature gradients during May months have weakly positive CO2 gradients 4) Areas with strongly negative water equivalent mass and strongly positive land-surface temperature gradients during September months have strongly positive CO2 gradients. This indicates that continuous and discontinuous permafrost ecosystem responses are correlated in phase with energy and mass changes over the period. The Laptev and East Siberia Sea have increasing trends of CO2 atmosphere concentration 2.23 ± 0.15 ppm/yr and 2.40 ± 0.21 ppm/yr, respectively. Increasing trends and strong positive gradients of CO2atmosphere concentration during Aprils-Mays are evidence that the Arctic Ocean is a strong emitter of CO2 during springtime lead formation. We hypnotize that the increasing CO2 from land and ocean regions is from permafrost thawing and degradation and ecosystem microbial activity.

Highlights

Land- and ocean-surfaces form a fundamental physical boundary of the Earth [1]
3) Areas with strongly positive water equivalent mass and negative land-surface temperature gradients during May months have weakly positive CO2 gradients 4) Areas with strongly negative water equivalent mass and strongly positive land-surface temperature gradients during September months have strongly positive CO2 gradients. This indicates that continuous and discontinuous permafrost ecosystem responses are correlated in phase with energy and mass changes over the period
Increasing trends and strong positive gradients of CO2 atmosphere concentration during Aprils-Mays are evidence that the Arctic Ocean is a strong emitter of CO2 during springtime lead formation

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Land- and ocean-surfaces form a fundamental physical boundary of the Earth [1]. Land-surface temperature is a key variable of this physical boundary where thermodynamic and biophysical processes interact at local and regional scales that influence changes of the Earth’s climate system [2,3]. Our region of interest is the northern high-latitudes with attention to the ecosystems, permafrost zones, watersheds and wetlands from 50 ̊ to 80 ̊N and 75 ̊ to 165 ̊E, Figure 1 Within this region the Lena River and neighboring watersheds provide a physical reference frame to evaluate energy and mass transfers. In western North America the Mackenzie River and Yukon River watersheds, mostly underlain by the discontinuous permafrost zone show no trend in runoff, yet show trends of decreasing groundwater storage and increasing regionally averaged winter snow-load. These changes in water loads continue from the period of 2002 through 2008.

SOURCE DATA

METHODOLODY

Timeseries

Speciotemporal Gradient Fields

CONCLUSIONS