Selective Sorting and Degradation of Permafrost Organic Matter in the Nearshore Zone of Herschel Island (Yukon, Canada)

Dirk Jong; Lisa Bröder; Tommaso Tesi; George Tanski; Mickolai Oudenhuijsen; Michael Fritz; Hugues Lantuit; Negar Haghipour; Timothy Eglinton; Jorien Vonk

doi:10.1029/2023JG007479

Selective Sorting and Degradation of Permafrost Organic Matter in the Nearshore Zone of Herschel Island (Yukon, Canada)

Dirk Jong^*, Lisa Bröder, Tommaso Tesi, George Tanski, Mickolai Oudenhuijsen, Michael Fritz, Hugues Lantuit, Negar Haghipour, Timothy Eglinton, Jorien Vonk^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Earth and Climate

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Erosion of permafrost coasts due to climate warming releases large quantities of organic carbon (OC) into the Arctic Ocean. While burial of permafrost OC in marine sediments potentially limits degradation, resuspension of sediments in the nearshore zone potentially enhances degradation and greenhouse gas production, adding to the “permafrost carbon feedback.” Recent studies, focusing on bulk sediments, suggest that permafrost OC derived from coastal erosion is predominantly deposited close to shore. However, bulk approaches disregard sorting processes in the coastal zone, which strongly influence the OC distribution and fate. We studied soils and sediments along a transect from the fast-eroding shoreline of Herschel Island—Qikiqtaruk (Yukon, Canada) to a depositional basin offshore. Sample material was fractionated by density (1.8 g cm⁻³) and size (63 μm), separating loose OC from mineral-associated OC. Each fraction was analyzed for element content (TOC, TN), carbon isotopes (δ¹³C, Δ¹⁴C), molecular biomarkers (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, lignin phenols, cutin acids), and mineral surface area. The OC partitioning between fractions changes considerably along the transect, highlighting the importance of hydrodynamic sorting in the nearshore zone. Additionally, OC and biomarker loadings decrease along the land-ocean transect, indicating significant loss of OC during transport. However, molecular proxies for degradation show contrasting trends, suggesting that OC losses are not always well reflected in its degradation state. This study, using fraction partitioning that crosses land-ocean boundaries in a way not done before, aids to disentangle sorting processes from degradation patterns, and provides quantitative insight into losses of thawed and eroded permafrost OC.

Original language	English
Article number	e2023JG007479
Pages (from-to)	1-18
Number of pages	18
Journal	Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Volume	129
Issue number	1
Early online date	19 Jan 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JG007479
Publication status	Published - Jan 2024

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab.

Funding Information:
We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024. The Authors.

Funding

We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab. We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab.

Funders	Funder number
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Aurora Research Institute
Yukon Territorial Government
Horizon 2020
Yukon Parks
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	773421
European Research Council	676982

Keywords

biomarkers
fractionation
nearshore zone
organic carbon
permafrost
sediment

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10.1029/2023JG007479

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Jong, D., Bröder, L., Tesi, T., Tanski, G., Oudenhuijsen, M., Fritz, M., Lantuit, H., Haghipour, N., Eglinton, T., & Vonk, J. (2024). Selective Sorting and Degradation of Permafrost Organic Matter in the Nearshore Zone of Herschel Island (Yukon, Canada). Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 129(1), 1-18. Article e2023JG007479. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JG007479

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abstract = "Erosion of permafrost coasts due to climate warming releases large quantities of organic carbon (OC) into the Arctic Ocean. While burial of permafrost OC in marine sediments potentially limits degradation, resuspension of sediments in the nearshore zone potentially enhances degradation and greenhouse gas production, adding to the “permafrost carbon feedback.” Recent studies, focusing on bulk sediments, suggest that permafrost OC derived from coastal erosion is predominantly deposited close to shore. However, bulk approaches disregard sorting processes in the coastal zone, which strongly influence the OC distribution and fate. We studied soils and sediments along a transect from the fast-eroding shoreline of Herschel Island—Qikiqtaruk (Yukon, Canada) to a depositional basin offshore. Sample material was fractionated by density (1.8 g cm−3) and size (63 μm), separating loose OC from mineral-associated OC. Each fraction was analyzed for element content (TOC, TN), carbon isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C), molecular biomarkers (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, lignin phenols, cutin acids), and mineral surface area. The OC partitioning between fractions changes considerably along the transect, highlighting the importance of hydrodynamic sorting in the nearshore zone. Additionally, OC and biomarker loadings decrease along the land-ocean transect, indicating significant loss of OC during transport. However, molecular proxies for degradation show contrasting trends, suggesting that OC losses are not always well reflected in its degradation state. This study, using fraction partitioning that crosses land-ocean boundaries in a way not done before, aids to disentangle sorting processes from degradation patterns, and provides quantitative insight into losses of thawed and eroded permafrost OC.",

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author = "Dirk Jong and Lisa Br{\"o}der and Tommaso Tesi and George Tanski and Mickolai Oudenhuijsen and Michael Fritz and Hugues Lantuit and Negar Haghipour and Timothy Eglinton and Jorien Vonk",

note = "Funding Information: We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab. Funding Information: We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024. The Authors.",

year = "2024",

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doi = "10.1029/2023JG007479",

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volume = "129",

pages = "1--18",

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Jong, D, Bröder, L, Tesi, T, Tanski, G, Oudenhuijsen, M, Fritz, M, Lantuit, H, Haghipour, N, Eglinton, T & Vonk, J 2024, 'Selective Sorting and Degradation of Permafrost Organic Matter in the Nearshore Zone of Herschel Island (Yukon, Canada)', Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, vol. 129, no. 1, e2023JG007479, pp. 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JG007479

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AU - Jong, Dirk

AU - Bröder, Lisa

AU - Tesi, Tommaso

AU - Tanski, George

AU - Oudenhuijsen, Mickolai

AU - Fritz, Michael

AU - Lantuit, Hugues

AU - Haghipour, Negar

AU - Eglinton, Timothy

AU - Vonk, Jorien

N1 - Funding Information: We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab. Funding Information: We wish to acknowledge funding from the European Research Council (StG THAWSOME, 676982) and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Nunataryuk, Grant 773421). We wish to thank Konstantin Klein, Dyke Scheidemann, Kirsi Keskitalo and the rangers of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park for their help in the field. Furthermore, we wish to express our thanks to the Yukon Territorial Government and Yukon Parks, and also acknowledge the logistical support of the Aurora Research Institute (ARI, Inuvik), members of the Laboratory for Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zurich, and members of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam sediment lab. Publisher Copyright: © 2024. The Authors.

PY - 2024/1

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N2 - Erosion of permafrost coasts due to climate warming releases large quantities of organic carbon (OC) into the Arctic Ocean. While burial of permafrost OC in marine sediments potentially limits degradation, resuspension of sediments in the nearshore zone potentially enhances degradation and greenhouse gas production, adding to the “permafrost carbon feedback.” Recent studies, focusing on bulk sediments, suggest that permafrost OC derived from coastal erosion is predominantly deposited close to shore. However, bulk approaches disregard sorting processes in the coastal zone, which strongly influence the OC distribution and fate. We studied soils and sediments along a transect from the fast-eroding shoreline of Herschel Island—Qikiqtaruk (Yukon, Canada) to a depositional basin offshore. Sample material was fractionated by density (1.8 g cm−3) and size (63 μm), separating loose OC from mineral-associated OC. Each fraction was analyzed for element content (TOC, TN), carbon isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C), molecular biomarkers (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, lignin phenols, cutin acids), and mineral surface area. The OC partitioning between fractions changes considerably along the transect, highlighting the importance of hydrodynamic sorting in the nearshore zone. Additionally, OC and biomarker loadings decrease along the land-ocean transect, indicating significant loss of OC during transport. However, molecular proxies for degradation show contrasting trends, suggesting that OC losses are not always well reflected in its degradation state. This study, using fraction partitioning that crosses land-ocean boundaries in a way not done before, aids to disentangle sorting processes from degradation patterns, and provides quantitative insight into losses of thawed and eroded permafrost OC.

AB - Erosion of permafrost coasts due to climate warming releases large quantities of organic carbon (OC) into the Arctic Ocean. While burial of permafrost OC in marine sediments potentially limits degradation, resuspension of sediments in the nearshore zone potentially enhances degradation and greenhouse gas production, adding to the “permafrost carbon feedback.” Recent studies, focusing on bulk sediments, suggest that permafrost OC derived from coastal erosion is predominantly deposited close to shore. However, bulk approaches disregard sorting processes in the coastal zone, which strongly influence the OC distribution and fate. We studied soils and sediments along a transect from the fast-eroding shoreline of Herschel Island—Qikiqtaruk (Yukon, Canada) to a depositional basin offshore. Sample material was fractionated by density (1.8 g cm−3) and size (63 μm), separating loose OC from mineral-associated OC. Each fraction was analyzed for element content (TOC, TN), carbon isotopes (δ13C, Δ14C), molecular biomarkers (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, lignin phenols, cutin acids), and mineral surface area. The OC partitioning between fractions changes considerably along the transect, highlighting the importance of hydrodynamic sorting in the nearshore zone. Additionally, OC and biomarker loadings decrease along the land-ocean transect, indicating significant loss of OC during transport. However, molecular proxies for degradation show contrasting trends, suggesting that OC losses are not always well reflected in its degradation state. This study, using fraction partitioning that crosses land-ocean boundaries in a way not done before, aids to disentangle sorting processes from degradation patterns, and provides quantitative insight into losses of thawed and eroded permafrost OC.

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Selective Sorting and Degradation of Permafrost Organic Matter in the Nearshore Zone of Herschel Island (Yukon, Canada)

Abstract

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Keywords

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