Ancient Arctic carbon is pouring into the sea, but the seabed captures most of it
Researchers studying the Arctic coast have found that while thawing permafrost releases organic carbon into the ocean, the seafloor acts as a significant long-term storage site. Marine microorganisms appear to prioritize fresh carbon over older permafrost-derived carbon, influencing how much greenhouse gas is released into the atmosphere.
Why it matters
Understanding the carbon cycle in the Arctic is essential for improving climate change models and predicting the impact of thawing permafrost on global warming.
The Arctic's frozen ground contains enormous stores of organic carbon. As permafrost thaws and coastlines erode, some of that carbon is carried into the ocean. There, microorganisms can break it down and release greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
Until now, scientists have had limited information about how much of this carbon returns to the atmosphere and how much remains trapped in the ocean. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute and MARUM - Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen have now examined this process along the permafrost coast of Qikiqtaruk (Herschel Island) in Canada.
By studying sediment cores, the team found that large amounts of carbon from land are preserved in the seafloor. They also discovered that marine microorganisms behave like selective eaters, favoring fresh carbon from the ocean over older carbon released from permafrost. The findings were published in Nature Geoscience .
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