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

Reginald R. Muskett, Vladimir E. Romanovsky

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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.

Keywords

Permafrost; GRACE; MODIS; AIRS

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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