Antarctic permafrost degassing in Taylor Valley by extensive soil gas investigation

Ruggiero, Livio; Sciarra, Alessandra; Mazzini, Adriano; Florindo, Fabio; Wilson, Gary; Tartarello, Maria Chiara; Mazzoli, Claudio; Anderson, J.; Romanò, Valentina; Worthington, Rachel; Bigi, Sabina; Sassi, Raffaele; Ciotoli, Giancarlo

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161345

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…It has been estimated that permafrost regions store 1014–1035 Pg (1 Pg = 10 15 g) of organic C in the top 3 m of the soil (Hugelius et al, 2014; Mishra et al, 2021), approximately 50% of the global soil C stock (Jobbágy & Jackson, 2000). With rapid warming and the subsequent permafrost thaw (Biskaborn et al, 2019; Webb & Liljedahl, 2023), part of previously frozen organic C becomes accessible to microbial decomposition and can be released as greenhouse gases (mainly CO 2 ) into the atmosphere (Ruggiero et al, 2023; Schädel et al, 2016), potentially creating a positive C‐climate feedback (Natali et al, 2021; Schuur et al, 2015). However, there is large uncertainty regarding the size of this feedback (Koven, Lawrence, et al, 2015; McGuire et al, 2018; Miner et al, 2022), with estimates of permafrost C release by 2100 ranging from 28 to 113 Pg under the RCP8.5 scenario (Koven, Schuur, et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pg (1 Pg = 10 15 g) of organic C in the top 3 m of the soil (Hugelius et al, 2014;Mishra et al, 2021), approximately 50% of the global soil C stock (Jobbágy & Jackson, 2000). With rapid warming and the subsequent permafrost thaw (Biskaborn et al, 2019;Webb & Liljedahl, 2023), part of previously frozen organic C becomes accessible to microbial decomposition and can be released as greenhouse gases (mainly CO 2 ) into the atmosphere (Ruggiero et al, 2023;Schädel et al, 2016), potentially creating a positive C-climate feedback (Natali et al, 2021;Schuur et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Priming effect stimulates carbon release from thawed permafrost

Chen

et al. 2023

Global Change Biology

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Climate warming leads to widespread permafrost thaw with a fraction of the thawed permafrost carbon (C) being released as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), thus triggering a positive permafrost C-climate feedback. However, large uncertainty exists in the size of this model-projected feedback, partly owing to the limited understanding of permafrost CO 2 release through the priming effect (i.e., the stimulation of soil organic matter decomposition by external C inputs) upon thaw. By combining permafrost sampling from 24 sites on the Tibetan Plateau and laboratory incubation, we detected an overall positive priming effect (an increase in soil C decomposition by up to 31%) upon permafrost thaw, which increased with permafrost C density (C storage per area). We then assessed the magnitude of thawed permafrost C under future climate scenarios by coupling increases in active layer thickness over half a century with spatial and vertical distributions of soil C density. The thawed C stocks in the top 3 m of soils from the present (2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015) to the future period (2061-2080) were estimated at 1.0 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8-1.2) and 1.3 (95% CI: 1.0-1.7) Pg (1 Pg = 10 15 g) C under moderate and high Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5, respectively. We further predicted permafrost priming effect potential (priming intensity under optimal conditions) based on the thawed C and the empirical relationship between the priming effect and permafrost C density. By the period 2061-2080, the regional priming potentials could be 8.8 (95%

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Priming effect stimulates carbon release from thawed permafrost

Chen

et al. 2023

Global Change Biology

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Cascading tipping points of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean

Kubiszewski,

Adams,

Baird

et al. 2024

Ambio

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Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are key elements in the physical and biological Earth system. Human-induced climate change, and other human activities in the region, are leading to several potential interacting tipping points with major and irreversible consequences. Here, we examine eight potential physical, biological, chemical, and social Antarctic tipping points. These include ice sheets, ocean acidification, ocean circulation, species redistribution, invasive species, permafrost melting, local pollution, and the Antarctic Treaty System. We discuss the nature of each potential tipping point, its control variables, thresholds, timescales, and impacts, and focus on the potential for cumulative and cascading effects as a result of their interactions. The analysis provides substantial evidence of the need for more concerted and rapid action to limit climate change and to minimise the impacts of local human activities to avoid these cascading tipping points.

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