Characterizing Batagay megaslump topography dynamics and matter fluxes at high spatial resolution using a multidisciplinary approach of permafrost field observations, remote sensing and 3D geological modeling

A Third of Organic Carbon Is Mineral Bound in Permafrost Sediments Exposed by the World's Largest Thaw Slump, Batagay, Siberia

“…If we extrapolate this concentration to the entire volume of ice exported by the Batagay megaslump annually, we obtain a first order estimate of 10 4 kg of DOC per year, which is three orders of magnitude lower than the mass of TOC exported by the sediments. If we consider comparatively higher concentrations of DOC for the pore ice in the sediments, that is, a mean of to 560 mg/L [100] and carry out the same extrapolation procedure, we obtain 3 × 10 5 kg DOC per year exported by the ice, which corresponds to 2% of the OC exported by the sediments. Even so, we recognize that DOC, although not representing a substantial part of the mass balance, is still of major importance for biogeochemical processes, being potentially highly labile compared to sediment TOC [11,12,101].…”

“…According to Fritz et al [99], who analyzed different ice bodies throughout the Arctic, ice wedges could contain up to 28.6 mg/L of DOC. For the Batagay slump, Kizyakov et al [100] found a mean ice wedge DOC content of 19 mg/L as a first estimate based on 47 samples. If we extrapolate this concentration to the entire volume of ice exported by the Batagay megaslump annually, we obtain a first order estimate of 10 4 kg of DOC per year, which is three orders of magnitude lower than the mass of TOC exported by the sediments.…”