Lena River Delta Research Articles

Electrical resistivity tomography of drained thermokarst lake basin on Kurungnakh island in the Lena river delta

Evolution of permafrost under thermokarst lakes is an actual question in the light of such problems of cryolythic zone research as greenhouse gas emission, permafrost degradation and cryovolcanism. Recently drained thermokarst lake provide an opportunity to study under-lake permafrost state with ground geophysical methods. This lake located on Kurungnakh island (composed of Yedoma ice complex deposits) in the Lena delta was studied with electrical resistivity tomography. Local low-resistivity anomaly in the central part of the lake was found during previous geophysical research. Main goal of this work is detection of residual thermal effect from a frozen under-lake talik in an electric field. Satellite images of different years show that the drainage has taken place about 30 years ago. The area of the lake was covered in 2016 by high-resolution aerial imagery (5 cm/pixel), then digital elevation model was built using photogrammetry. These data were used for geomorphological description of the alas (depression in permafrost after lake drainage). The alas depth reaches 8 m, its size is about 300 × 500 m. It was formed probably on the last stage of Holocene thermokarst activity and it is relatively shallow in comparison to other typical alases on the island. A number of baijarachs (as a result of polygonal ice wedges thawing) were observed on the alas bottom. A line of the steepest slope marks a coast line of the lake, which allows to estimate a volume of water, which was contained in it earlier. Electrical resistivity tomography was implemented on 8 parallel profiles of 235 m. Measurements were conducted with dipole-dipole array. Basing on 3-dimensional inversion results a 3-dimensional resistivity model of under-lake deposits up to 40 m deep was made. Relatively low resistivity area (16–25 kOhm·m in comparison to 50–100 kOhm·m) was registered at the depth of 15–35 m. It is probably linked to a temperature anomaly (–3...–5 °С in comparison with –8.5 °С average value of the region). Therefore the under lake talik was fully frozen but the rest of temperature anomaly is still observable. 3-dimensional finite-element modeling of talik propagation (500 years) and refreezing (30 years) was done in axisymmetric setting taking phase transition into account. Temperature anomaly up to 0 °С in its center at the depth of 35 m was obtained as a result of the modeling. It qualitatively confirms the interpretation of electrical resistivity tomography data on the residual temperature anomaly below the basin of the drained lake.

Pathways of ice-wedge degradation in polygonal tundra under different hydrological conditions

Abstract. Ice-wedge polygons are common features of lowland tundra in the continuous permafrost zone and prone to rapid degradation through melting of ground ice. There are many interrelated processes involved in ice-wedge thermokarst and it is a major challenge to quantify their influence on the stability of the permafrost underlying the landscape. In this study we used a numerical modelling approach to investigate the degradation of ice wedges with a focus on the influence of hydrological conditions. Our study area was Samoylov Island in the Lena River delta of northern Siberia, for which we had in situ measurements to evaluate the model. The tailored version of the CryoGrid 3 land surface model was capable of simulating the changing microtopography of polygonal tundra and also regarded lateral fluxes of heat, water, and snow. We demonstrated that the approach is capable of simulating ice-wedge degradation and the associated transition from a low-centred to a high-centred polygonal microtopography. The model simulations showed ice-wedge degradation under recent climatic conditions of the study area, irrespective of hydrological conditions. However, we found that wetter conditions lead to an earlier onset of degradation and cause more rapid ground subsidence. We set our findings in correspondence to observed types of ice-wedge polygons in the study area and hypothesized on remaining discrepancies between modelled and observed ice-wedge thermokarst activity. Our quantitative approach provides a valuable complement to previous, more qualitative and conceptual, descriptions of the possible pathways of ice-wedge polygon evolution. We concluded that our study is a blueprint for investigating thermokarst landforms and marks a step forward in understanding the complex interrelationships between various processes shaping ice-rich permafrost landscapes.

ГЕОХИМИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ОРГАНИЧЕСКОГО ВЕЩЕСТВА В ДОННЫХ ОТЛОЖЕНИЯХ ЛАГУНЫ ИВАШКИНОЙ (БЫКОВСКИЙ ПОЛУОСТРОВ, МОРЕ ЛАПТЕВЫХ)

Актуальность. В настоящее время для прогнозирования глобальных климатических изменений особое значение имеет исследование природных механизмов функционирования арктической биогеохимической экосистемы с применением различных методов и аналитических подходов. Органическое вещество современных донных осадков, аккумулирующее гетерогенные сигналы различных процессов транспорта и трансформации углерода, является индикатором уникальных особенностей седиментогенеза и диагенеза осадков. Использование наборов высокоточных геохимических инструментов позволяет получить важную информацию о вкладе аллохтонной и автохтонной компоненты в состав органического вещества и таким образом внести вклад в понимание отдельных элементов современного арктического цикла углерода. Цель исследования заключается в определении литологических и органо-геохимических особенностей отложений, накопленных в специфических лагунных условиях прибрежной части моря Лаптевых (Ивашкина лагуна, Быковский полуостров). Материалы и методы. Объектом исследования был выбран разрез осадков в районе дельты реки Лена. Для оценки изменчивости молекулярного состава органического вещества в процессе накопления толщ осадков был исследован 18-метровый интервал керна скважины VD-13, пробуренной в центральной части Ивашкиной лагуны во время весенней арктической экспедиции 2013 г. Для образцов были определены их гранулометрические характеристики, а также проведены пиролитические и хромато-масс-спектрометрические исследования. Показано, что повышенное содержание органического углерода (Сорг) в разрезе приурочено к пелитовой фракции осадков. Распределение н-алканов характеризуется доминированием высокомолекулярных нечетных гомологов, что указывает на повсеместно определяющий вклад высшей наземной растительности в формирование органического вещества, аккумулируемого в осадках. Тем не менее, вклад потенциально миграционной органической компоненты не исключен, так как для ряда образцов отмечается присутствие низкомолекулярной фракции н-алканов. Результаты пиролитического анализа образцов указывают на резкую изменчивость содержания Сорг и летучих органических соединений с глубиной.

Optical Properties of Dissolved Organic Matter of the Surface Layer of Laptev Sea Water

Features of fluorescence of humic compounds transported by the Lena River runoff in September 2015 are considered. The change in optical properties of dissolved organic matter, namely, fluorescence spectra and absorption coefficients at a wavelength of 350 nm, on the transect from the Lena River delta to the continental slope is demonstrated. For humic compounds of terrigenous origin, the position of the fluorescence maximum has been determined at excitation wavelengths of 270, 310, and 355 nm. It has been shown that fresh riverine waters of Lena River propagate throughout the entire shelf and humic compounds are the main component of the colored fraction of dissolved organic matter. In samples collected near the continental slope, the presence of labile autochthonous organic matter has been revealed. The content of dissolved organic matter in riverine water in 2015 is comparable with results of previous investigations and amounts to 548 μM/L.

A 16-year record (2002–2017) of permafrost, active-layer, and meteorological conditions at the Samoylov Island Arctic permafrost research site, Lena River delta, northern Siberia: an opportunity to validate remote-sensing data and land surface, snow, and permafrost models

Abstract. Most of the world's permafrost is located in the Arctic, where its frozen organic carbon content makes it a potentially important influence on the global climate system. The Arctic climate appears to be changing more rapidly than the lower latitudes, but observational data density in the region is low. Permafrost thaw and carbon release into the atmosphere, as well as snow cover changes, are positive feedback mechanisms that have the potential for climate warming. It is therefore particularly important to understand the links between the energy balance, which can vary rapidly over hourly to annual timescales, and permafrost conditions, which changes slowly on decadal to centennial timescales. This requires long-term observational data such as that available from the Samoylov research site in northern Siberia, where meteorological parameters, energy balance, and subsurface observations have been recorded since 1998. This paper presents the temporal data set produced between 2002 and 2017, explaining the instrumentation, calibration, processing, and data quality control. Furthermore, we present a merged data set of the parameters, which were measured from 1998 onwards. Additional data include a high-resolution digital terrain model (DTM) obtained from terrestrial lidar laser scanning. Since the data provide observations of temporally variable parameters that influence energy fluxes between permafrost, active-layer soils, and the atmosphere (such as snow depth and soil moisture content), they are suitable for calibrating and quantifying the dynamics of permafrost as a component in earth system models. The data also include soil properties beneath different microtopographic features (a polygon centre, a rim, a slope, and a trough), yielding much-needed information on landscape heterogeneity for use in land surface modelling. For the record from 1998 to 2017, the average mean annual air temperature was −12.3 ∘C, with mean monthly temperature of the warmest month (July) recorded as 9.5 ∘C and for the coldest month (February) −32.7 ∘C. The average annual rainfall was 169 mm. The depth of zero annual amplitude is at 20.75 m. At this depth, the temperature has increased from −9.1 ∘C in 2006 to −7.7 ∘C in 2017. The presented data are freely available through the PANGAEA (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.891142) and Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/record/2223709, last access: 6 February 2019) websites.

СТРУКТУРНО-ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА ЗООПЛАНКТОННЫХ СООБЩЕСТВ ТЕРМОКАРСТОВЫХ ОЗЕР О. САМОЙЛОВСКИЙ (ДЕЛЬТА РЕКИ ЛЕНЫ, РЕСПУБЛИКА САХА (ЯКУТИЯ))

СТРУКТУРНО-ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНАЯ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА ЗООПЛАНКТОННЫХ СООБЩЕСТВ ТЕРМОКАРСТОВЫХ ОЗЕР О. САМОЙЛОВСКИЙ (ДЕЛЬТА РЕКИ ЛЕНЫ, РЕСПУБЛИКА САХА (ЯКУТИЯ))

Зимний промысел рыб семейства Coregonidae в устьевой области дельты р. Лена (бассейн моря Лаптевых)

Зимний промысел рыб семейства Coregonidae в устьевой области дельты р. Лена (бассейн моря Лаптевых)

Оптические свойства растворенного органического вещества поверхностного слоя воды моря Лаптевых

AbstractFeatures of fluorescence of humic compounds transported by the Lena River runoff in September 2015 are considered. The change in optical properties of dissolved organic matter, namely, fluorescence spectra and absorption coefficients at a wavelength of 350 nm, on the transect from the Lena River delta to the continental slope is demonstrated. For humic compounds of terrigenous origin, the position of the fluorescence maximum has been determined at excitation wavelengths of 270, 310, and 355 nm. It has been shown that fresh riverine waters of Lena River propagate throughout the entire shelf and humic compounds are the main component of the colored fraction of dissolved organic matter. In samples collected near the continental slope, the presence of labile autochthonous organic matter has been revealed. The content of dissolved organic matter in riverine water in 2015 is comparable with results of previous investigations and amounts to 548 μM/L.

Magnetometry and ground penetrating radar in application to mapping of polygonal wedge ice of yedoma complex

Paper is dedicated to geophysical mapping of polygonal wedge ice. Magnetometric and ground penetrating radar surveys were implemented on a small area of Yedoma ice complex on Kurungnakh island in Lena river delta. Such deposits are widely spread on a huge areas of Siberia and Alaska. The study was conducted near the thermoerosional gully, which propagates along the most thick ice wedges. Polygonal pattern is observable on high-resolution aerial imagery and digital elevation model - this data was used during the interpreting of obtained results. Study area (40×50 m) was covered with highresolution magnetic survey at the elevation of 2 m with 2×2 m step and with ground penetrating radar survey along profiles with 1 m distance between the profiles. Map of total magnetic field anomalies allow to determine the ice wedges of Yedoma ice complex distinctly. Difference between maximum positive (polygons centers) and negative (ice wedges) anomalies reaches 6 nT (error of the survey is 0,3 nT). Beyond that smaller ice wedges which penetrate the ice wedges of Yedoma complex are also observable in magnetic field. Basing on ground penetrating radar data an amplitude slice of at 3,5 m depth was built. Yedoma ice wedges are observable at depth of 3–4 m. Ground penetrating radar data is quite noisy due to surface inhomogeneity (puddles, knolls, etc.). Results of the surveys were compared in the light of practical application of the methods for above mentioned goal. Magnetometric method appears as more efficient than ground penetrating radar survey: it does not require a contact with the surface and more rapid, it is more sensitive as the case stands. Ground penetrating radar method may have advantages in the case of natural (magnetic storm, high-magnetized overlaying deposits) and anthropogenic (metal constructions — pipelines, ETL) noise.

Evaluation of a MetOp ASCAT-Derived Surface Soil Moisture Product in Tundra Environments.

Satellite‐derived surface soil moisture data are available for the Arctic, but detailed validation is still lacking. Previous studies have shown low correlations between in situ and modeled data. It is hypothesized that soil temperature variations after soil thaw impact MetOp ASCAT satellite‐derived surface soil moisture (SSM) measurements in wet tundra environments, as C band backscatter is sensitive to changes in dielectric properties. We compare in situ measurements of water content within the active layer at four sites across the Arctic in Alaska (Barrow, Sagwon, Toolik) and Siberia (Tiksi), taken in the spring after thawing and in autumn prior to freezing. In addition to the long‐term measurement fields, where sensors are installed deeper in the ground, we designed a monitoring setup for measuring moisture very close to the surface in the Lena River Delta, Siberia. The volumetric water content (VWC) and soil temperature sensors were placed in the moss organic layer in order to account for the limited penetration depth of the radar signal. ASCAT SSM variations are generally very small, in line with the low variability of in situ VWC. Short‐term changes after complete thawing of the upper organic layer, however, seem to be mostly influenced by soil temperature. Correlations between SSM and in situ VWC are generally very low, or even negative. Mean standard deviation matching results in a comparably high root‐mean‐square error (on average 11%) for predictions of VWC. Further investigations and measurement networks are needed to clarify factors causing temporal variation of C band backscatter in tundra regions.

Scaling and balancing methane fluxes in a heterogeneous tundra ecosystem of the Lena River Delta

Methane fluxes on an active flood plain situated in the Siberian Lena River Delta were studied applying the eddy covariance method. During the growing season, the observed fluxes exhibited a great deal of temporal variability, which was largely the result of the pronounced spatial variability of soil and vegetation characteristics within the footprint. Explaining this variability was based on three data-driven modelling approaches: the automatically operating algorithms stepwise regression as well as neural network, and a mechanistic model, which utilised exponential relationships between the methane flux and both flux drivers soil temperature and friction velocity. A substantial improvement in model performance was achieved by applying footprint information in the form of relative contributions of three vegetation classes to the flux signal. This aspect indicates that the vegetation served as an integrated proxy for flux drivers, whose characteristics permanently varied according to the shifting source area. The neural network performed best in explaining the variability of the observed methane fluxes. However, validating the models’ generalisability revealed that the mechanistic model provided the most predictive power suggesting that this model best captured the causality between the methane flux and its drivers. After integrating the gap-filled time series, all models yielded footprint budgets that were similar in magnitude. These budgets, however, lacked representativity due to the sensor location bias, i.e. their strong dependence on tower location, measurement height and wind field conditions. Thus, an unbiased budget of the total area of the flood plain was estimated utilising the mechanistic model. Initially, a downscaling procedure partitioned the observed flux with a seasonal mean of 0.012 μmol m-2 s-1 into three individual vegetation class fluxes accounting for shrubs (0.0004 μmol m-2 s-1), sedges (0.052 μmol m-2 s-1) and intermediate vegetation (0.018 μmol m-2 s-1). These decomposed fluxes in turn formed the basis – in conjunction with a classified high-resolution orthomosaic of the flood plain – for the vegetation class area-weighted upscaling. Alternatively, the straightforward upscaling of the footprint budgets (without the preceding downscaling) yielded budgets that underestimated the methane source strength of the flood plain by roughly 42 %. Hence, the application of fine-scale information on surface characteristics is crucial for both modelling methane flux dynamics and adequately estimating budgets of heterogeneous ecosystems being abundant in the tundra biome.

Sentinel-1 SAR Interferometry for Surface Deformation Monitoring in Low-Land Permafrost Areas

Low-land permafrost areas are subject to intense freeze-thaw cycles and characterized by remarkable surface displacement. We used Sentinel-1 SAR interferometry (InSAR) in order to analyse the summer surface displacement over four spots in the Arctic and Antarctica since 2015. Choosing floodplain or outcrop areas as the reference for the InSAR relative deformation measurements, we found maximum subsidence of about 3 to 10 cm during the thawing season with generally high spatial variability. Sentinel-1 time-series of interferograms with 6–12 day time intervals highlight that subsidence is often occurring rather quickly within roughly one month in early summer. Intercomparison of summer subsidence from Sentinel-1 in 2017 with TerraSAR-X in 2013 over part of the Lena River Delta (Russia) shows a high spatial agreement between both SAR systems. A comparison with in-situ measurements for the summer of 2014 over the Lena River Delta indicates a pronounced downward movement of several centimetres in both cases but does not reveal a spatial correspondence between InSAR and local in-situ measurements. For the reconstruction of longer time-series of deformation, yearly Sentinel-1 interferograms from the end of the summer were considered. However, in order to infer an effective subsidence of the surface through melting of excess ice layers over multi-annual scales with Sentinel-1, a longer observation time period is necessary.

Landscape-dynamic aspects of soil formation in the Lena River Delta

This article provides data on the study of pedodiversity and pecularities of soils and their spatial distribution in the territory of the Lena River Delta (Siberia, Russia). Special reference to geogenic factors of soil formation in the pedoenvironment are made. The main patterns of soil distribution in different geomorphic positions for Samoilovsky, Arga-Belir-Aryta, Kurungnakh and Hardang islands are discussed. The soil catenas of the 4 investigated islands are given as a reliable representation of the formation of soils and the development of soil-forming processes in various types of relief and geomorphological features. Soils are represented mainly by the following groups: Fluvisols, Umbrisols, Podzols, Cryosols, Histosols, Gleysols, which are closely related to the geomorphic terraces of the delta.

Lake‐Atmosphere Heat Flux Dynamics of a Thermokarst Lake in Arctic Siberia

AbstractWe conducted eddy covariance measurements from April to August 2014 on a Siberian thermokarst lake. The study site is located in the Lena River Delta and characterized as a floating ice lake. Heat fluxes differed in magnitudes, directions and temporal patterns depending on the lake surface conditions (“frozen” ice cover, ice cover melt, and open water). Significant heat release during frozen ice cover conditions highlighted the importance of lakes for the landscape heat budget and water balance. The energy balance was nearly closed during the open water period and highlighted the impact of melting energy on its closure during the ice cover period. Sensible and latent heat dynamics were driven by temperature and water vapor gradients scaled by wind speed, respectively. We calculated bulk aerodynamics transfer coefficients and evaluated the performance of the derived in situ and three independent heat flux parameterization schemes. We found that bulk transfer models perform moderately to poorly for the different lake surface conditions. During the open water period small‐scale temporal variability could not be represented by the models, particularly in case of latent heat flux. The model results were less sensitive to the specific model type than to the accuracy of the surface water temperature measurement, which is dependent on a well‐thought‐out measurement design. Our study stresses considerations that are crucial for similar campaigns in the future, in order to face the measurement challenges encountered on arctic lakes especially during the ice cover period.

New data on earthquake focal mechanisms in the Laptev Sea region of the Arctic-Asian seismic belt

We consider 16 earthquakes with Mw = 4.2–5.2 that occurred in the south-eastern part of the Laptev Sea shelf, Lena River Delta, and North Verkhoyanye (Russia) in 1990–2014. Focal mechanisms, scalar seismic moments, moment magnitudes, and hypocentral depths of the seismic events have been calculated from the data on amplitude spectra of surface waves and P wave first-motion polarities. The obtained results sufficiently implement the existing dataset on reliable earthquake source parameters for the study region and prove the change of the stress-strain state of the crust from extension on the Laptev Sea shelf to compression on the continent providing finer spatial details of the deformation field in the transition zones such as Buor-Khaya Bay and the Lena River Delta.

Thaw Subsidence of a Yedoma Landscape in Northern Siberia, Measured In Situ and Estimated from TerraSAR-X Interferometry

In permafrost areas, seasonal freeze-thaw cycles result in upward and downward movements of the ground. For some permafrost areas, long-term downward movements were reported during the last decade. We measured seasonal and multi-year ground movements in a yedoma region of the Lena River Delta, Siberia, in 2013–2017, using reference rods installed deep in the permafrost. The seasonal subsidence was 1.7 ± 1.5 cm in the cold summer of 2013 and 4.8 ± 2 cm in the warm summer of 2014. Furthermore, we measured a pronounced multi-year net subsidence of 9.3 ± 5.7 cm from spring 2013 to the end of summer 2017. Importantly, we observed a high spatial variability of subsidence of up to 6 cm across a sub-meter horizontal scale. In summer 2013, we accompanied our field measurements with Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) on repeat-pass TerraSAR-X (TSX) data from the summer of 2013 to detect summer thaw subsidence over the same study area. Interferometry was strongly affected by a fast phase coherence loss, atmospheric artifacts, and possibly the choice of reference point. A cumulative ground movement map, built from a continuous interferogram stack, did not reveal a subsidence on the upland but showed a distinct subsidence of up to 2 cm in most of the thermokarst basins. There, the spatial pattern of DInSAR-measured subsidence corresponded well with relative surface wetness identified with the near infra-red band of a high-resolution optical image. Our study suggests that (i) although X-band SAR has serious limitations for ground movement monitoring in permafrost landscapes, it can provide valuable information for specific environments like thermokarst basins, and (ii) due to the high sub-pixel spatial variability of ground movements, a validation scheme needs to be developed and implemented for future DInSAR studies in permafrost environments.

Methane in Water and Bottom Sediments in Three Sections in the Kara and Laptev Seas

The methane content in water and bottom sediments was measured in vertical sections: Lena River Delta–continental slope (the Laptev Sea), Taimyr Peninsula–Voronin Trough, and along the Novaya Zemlya Archipelago. The methane concentrations varied from 2.5 to 70 nmol/L and from 590 to 2600 nmol/L in the water column and sediments, respectively. Most of the surface water samples showed oversaturation in methane (up to 19-fold, fourfold on average), which determined the water–atmosphere direction of methane fluxes, which amounted to 1–400 mol/km2 day (52 mol/km2 day on average).

Dissolved organic matter and its optical characteristics in the Laptev and East Siberian seas: spatial distribution and interannual variability (2003–2011)

Abstract. The East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) is the broadest and shallowest continental shelf in the world. It is characterized by both the highest rate of coastal erosion in the world and a large riverine input of terrigenous dissolved organic matter (DOM). DOM plays a significant role in marine aquatic ecosystems. The chromophoric fraction of DOM (CDOM) directly affects the quantity and spectral quality of available light, thereby impacting both primary production and ultraviolet (UV) exposure in aquatic ecosystems. A multiyear study of CDOM absorption, fluorescence, and spectral characteristics was carried out over the vast ESAS in the summer–fall seasons. The paper describes observations accomplished at 286 stations and 1766 in situ high-resolution optical measurements distributed along the nearshore zone. Spatial and interannual CDOM dynamics over the ESAS were investigated, and driving factors were identified. It was shown that the atmospheric circulation regime is the dominant factor controlling CDOM distribution on the ESAS. This paper explores the possibility of using CDOM and its spectral parameters to identify the different biogeochemical regimes in the surveyed area. The analysis of CDOM spectral characteristics showed that the major part of the Laptev and East Siberian seas shelf is influenced by terrigenous DOM carried in riverine discharge. Western and eastern provinces of the ESAS with distinctly different DOM optical properties were also identified; a transition between the two provinces at around 165–170° E, also consistent with hydrological and hydrochemical data, is shown. In the western ESAS, a region of substantial river impact, the content of aromatic carbon within DOM remains almost constant. In the eastern ESAS, a gradual decrease in aromaticity percentage was observed, indicating contribution of Pacific-origin waters, where allochthonous DOM with predominantly aliphatic character and much smaller absorption capacity predominates. In addition, we found a stable tendency towards reduced concentrations of CDOM and dissolved lignin and an increase in spectral slope and slope ratio values eastward from the Lena River delta; the Lena is the main supplier of DOM to the eastern Arctic shelf. The strong positive correlation (r = 0.97) between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and CDOM values in the surface shelf waters influenced by terrigenous discharge indicates that it is feasible to estimate DOC content from CDOM fluorescence assessed in situ using a WETStar fluorometer. This approach is reliable over the salinity range of 3 to 24.5. The fact that there is little difference between predicted and observed parameters indicates that the approach is justified. The direct estimation of DOM optical characteristics in the surface ESAS waters provided by this multiyear study will also be useful for validating and calibrating remote sensing data.

Structure of microbial communities of peat soils in two bogs in Siberian tundra and forest zones

The structure and functional activity of microbial complexes of a forest oligo-mesotrophic subshrub- grass-moss bog (OMB, Central Evenkiya) and a subshrub-sedge bog in the polygonal tundra (PB, Lena River Delta Samoylovsky Island) was studied. Soil of the forest bog (OMB) differed from that of the polygonal tundra bog (PB) in higher productivity (Corg, Ntotal, P, and K reserves), higher biomass of aerobic chemoorganotrophs (2.0 to 2.6 times), and twice the level of available organic matter. The contribution of microorganisms to the carbon pool was different, with the share of Cmic in Corg 1.4 to 2.5 times higher in PB compared to OMB. Qualitative composition of the methane cycle microorganisms in PB and OMB soils differed significantly. Methanogenic archaea (Euryarchaeota) in the shrub-sedge PB of tundra were more numerous and diverse than in the oligo-mesotrophic bog (OMB) and belonged to six families (Methanomassiliicoccaceae, Methanoregulaceae, Methanobacteriaceae, Methanomicrobiaceaee, Methanosarcinaceae, and Methanotrichaceae), while members of only four families (Methanosarcinacea, Methanobacteriaceae, Methanotrichaceae, and Methanomassiliicoccaceae) were revealed in OMB. In both bogs, methane-oxidizing bacteria belonged to Alphaproteobacteria (II) and Gammaproteobacteria (I). Methanotroph diversity was higher in OMB than in PB. Microbial communities of PB soils had higher potential activity of methanogenesis and methanotrophy compared to those of OMB. Methanogenic and methanotrophic activities in PB were 20 and 2.3 times higher, respectively, than in OMB.

Numerical simulation of the hydraulic regime of the Lena River delta

Numerical simulation of the hydraulic regime of the Lena River delta