Ice sheets are currently ignored in global methane budgets 1,2. They have been proposed to cap large reserves of methane that may contribute to a rise in atmospheric methane concentrations if released during periods of rapid ice retreat 3,4 , but no data on the current methane footprint of ice sheets currently exist. Here we find that subglacially-produced methane is rapidly flushed to the ice margin by the efficient drainage system of a subglacial catchment of the Greenland Ice Sheet. We report the continuous export of methane-supersaturated waters (CH4(aq)) from the ice sheet bed during the melt season. Pulses of high CH4(aq) concentrations coincided with supraglacially-forced subglacial flushing events, confirming a subglacial source and highlighting the influence of melt on methane export. Sustained methane fluxes over the melt season were indicative of subglacial methane reserves in excess of export, with an estimated 6.3 (2.4-11) tonnes of CH4(aq) laterally transported from the ice sheet bed. Stable isotope analyses revealed a microbial origin for methane; most likely derived from a mixture of inorganic and ancient organic carbon buried beneath the ice. We show that subglacial hydrology is crucial for controlling methane fluxes from the ice sheet, with efficient drainage limiting the extent of methane oxidation 5 to about 17% of methane exported. Atmospheric evasion is the main methane sink once runoff reaches the ice margin, with estimated diffusive Author contribution J.L.W. and G.L.G. designed the study. B.S.L. supervised stable-isotope analyses. S.A. performed the reaction-transport hydrate model calculations. P.F. assisted in the interpretation and analysis of the CONTROS HydroC ®-CH4 raw results. G.

We introduce for the first time a new product line able to make high accuracy measurements of a number of water chemistry parameters in situ: i.e., submerged in the environment including in the deep sea (to 6,000 m). This product is based on the developments of in situ lab on chip technology at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), and the University of Southampton and is produced under license by Clearwater Sensors Ltd., a start-up and industrial partner in bringing this technology to global availability and further developing its potential. The technology has already been deployed by the NOC, and with their partners worldwide over 200 times including to depths of ∼4,800 m, in turbid estuaries and rivers, and for up to a year in seasonally ice-covered regions of the arctic. The technology is capable of making accurate determinations of chemical and biological parameters that require reagents and which produce an electrical, absorbance, fluorescence, or luminescence signal. As such it is suitable for a wide range of environmental measurements. Whilst further parameters are in development across this partnership, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphate, Silicate, Iron, and pH sensors are currently available commercially. Theses sensors use microfluidics and optics combined in an optofluidic chip with electromechanical valves and pumps mounted upon it to mix water samples with reagents and measure the optical response. An overview of the sensors and the underlying components and technologies is given together with examples of deployments and integrations with observing platforms such as gliders, autonomous underwater vehicles and moorings.

Biogeochemical processes in fjords are likely affected by changes in surrounding glacier cover but very little is known about how meltwater directly influences dissolved organic matter (DOM) in fjords. Moreover, the data available are restricted to a handful of northern hemisphere sites. Here we analyze seasonal and spatial variation in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and DOM composition (spectrofluorescence, ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry) in Baker-Martinez Fjord, Chilean Patagonia (48°S), to infer the impacts of rapid regional deglaciation on fjord DOM. We show that surface layer DOC concentrations do not vary significantly between seasons, but DOM composition is sensitive to differences in riverine inputs. In summer, higher protein-like fluorescence reflects increased glacial meltwater inputs, whilst molecular level data show weaker influence from marine DOM due to more intense stratification. We postulate that the shifting seasonal balance of riverine and marine waters affects the supply of biolabile peptides and organic nitrogen cycling in the surface layer. Trends in DOM composition with increasing salinity are consistent with patterns in estuaries (i.e. preferential removal of aromatic compounds and increasing relative contribution of unsaturated and heteroatom-rich DOM from marine sources). Preliminary estimates also suggest that at least 10% of the annual organic carbon stock in this fjord is supplied by the four largest, glacially fed rivers and that these inputs are dominated by dissolved (84%) over particulate organic carbon. Riverine DOC may therefore be an important carbon subsidy to bacterial communities in the inner fjord. The overall findings highlight the biogeochemical sensitivity of a Patagonian fjord to changes in glacier melt input, which likely has relevance for other glaciated fjords in a warming climate.

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