Substrate potential of last interglacial to Holocene permafrost organic matter for future microbial greenhouse gas production

Janina G Stapel,Kai Mangelsdorf,Lutz Schirrmeister,Georg Schwamborn,Brian Horsfield

doi:10.5194/bg-15-1969-2018

Abstract

Abstract. In this study the organic matter (OM) in several permafrost cores from Bol'shoy Lyakhovsky Island in NE Siberia was investigated. In the context of the observed global warming the aim was to evaluate the potential of freeze-locked OM from different depositional ages to act as a substrate provider for microbial production of greenhouse gases from thawing permafrost. To assess this potential, the concentrations of free and bound acetate, which form an appropriate substrate for methanogenesis, were determined. The largest free-acetate (in pore water) and bound-acetate (organic-matrix-linked) substrate pools were present in interstadial marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 and stadial MIS 4 Yedoma permafrost deposits. In contrast, deposits from the last interglacial MIS 5e (Eemian) contained only a small pool of substrates. The Holocene (MIS 1) deposits revealed a significant bound-acetate pool, representing a future substrate potential upon release during OM degradation. Additionally, pyrolysis experiments on the OM allocated an increased aliphatic character to the MIS 3 and 4 Late Pleistocene deposits, which might indicate less decomposed and presumably more easily degradable OM. Biomarkers for past microbial communities, including those for methanogenic archaea, also showed the highest abundance during MIS 3 and 4, which indicated OM-stimulated microbial degradation and presumably greenhouse gas production during time of deposition. On a broader perspective, Arctic warming will increase and deepen permafrost thaw and favor substrate availability from older freeze-locked permafrost deposits. Thus, the Yedoma deposits especially showed a high potential for providing substrates relevant for microbial greenhouse gas production.

Highlights

The northern areas of the Eurasian landmass are underlain by permafrost, which is defined as ground that remains colder than 0 ◦C for at least 2 consecutive years (Washburn, 1980)
To obtain deeper insights into the potential of permafrost organic matter (OM) from different ages to act as a substrate provider for intense microbial degradation, we examined characteristic OM parameters and exemplarily low-molecular-weight organic acid (LMWOA) concentrations
Characteristic OM parameters (TOC, total organic carbon (TOC) / TN, and hydrogen index (HI)), biomarkers for living microbial communities (PLFA) and for past bacterial as well as archaeal communities, and the concentration of free and bound acetate are presented in Fig. 2 for all four cores from Bol’shoy Lyakhovsky Island

Summary

Introduction

The northern areas of the Eurasian landmass are underlain by permafrost, which is defined as ground that remains colder than 0 ◦C for at least 2 consecutive years (Washburn, 1980). These areas contain a large reservoir of organic carbon freeze-locked in the permafrost deposits (French, 2007; Zimov et al, 2009). The currently observed thawing of permafrost promotes the accessibility of accumulated and freeze-locked OM and nutrients for microbial turnover This results in increased microbial activity and, in increased OM decomposition rates (Dutta et al, 2006; Schmidt et al, 2011).

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Results

Conclusion