Exploring Indicators for Permafrost SOC Lability Using Simple Geochemical Techniques

Abstract:

Considering the vast amount of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stored in permafrost soils, it is of great importance to understand and estimate the potential decomposability of this material under a changing climate. Permafrost field studies from contrasting sites in the Russian arctic have been combined to explore the establishment of a usable indicator for potential decomposability, or lability, of SOC in arctic permafrost soils. In order to work with a multitude of environments and samples, the focus lies on simple techniques in order to provide a quick and useful proxy for past and future permafrost SOC lability assessments, at landscape and regional scale levels.

Two individual studies from the Russian arctic have been carried out, analyzed, and are partly published. This poster will present the current state of the synthesis of these studies and the determination of an indicator for the likelihood of greenhouse gas release from thawing permafrost soils.