Elevation-based upscaling of organic carbon stocks in High-Arctic permafrost terrain: a storage and distribution assessment for Spitsbergen, Svalbard

TY - JOUR

T1 - Elevation-based upscaling of organic carbon stocks in High-Arctic permafrost terrain

T2 - a storage and distribution assessment for Spitsbergen, Svalbard

AU - Weiss, Niels

AU - Faucherre, Samuel

AU - Lampiris, Nikos

AU - Wojcik, Robin

N1 - CENPERMOA[2018]

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Accurate quantity and distribution estimates of permafrost soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are needed to project potential feedbacks to climate, following warming. Still, upscaling from local field observations to regional estimates to circumarctic assessments remains a challenge. Here we explore elevation-based upscaling techniques for High-Arctic permafrost SOC stocks. We combine two detailed, high-resolution SOC inventories on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) with regional validation data. We find a clear relationship between elevation and SOC content, and use this observed exponential correlation, as well as discrete elevation classes, as upscaling models for Spitsbergen. We estimate the total amount of permafrost SOC currently present in soils on Spitsbergen to be 105.36 Tg (0.11 Pg), with a mean SOC content of 2.84 ± 0.74 kg C m−2 (mean ± 95% confidence interval). Excluding glaciers and permanent snowfields, exposed land is currently estimated to contain 6.26 ± 1.47 kg C m−2.

AB - Accurate quantity and distribution estimates of permafrost soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks are needed to project potential feedbacks to climate, following warming. Still, upscaling from local field observations to regional estimates to circumarctic assessments remains a challenge. Here we explore elevation-based upscaling techniques for High-Arctic permafrost SOC stocks. We combine two detailed, high-resolution SOC inventories on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) with regional validation data. We find a clear relationship between elevation and SOC content, and use this observed exponential correlation, as well as discrete elevation classes, as upscaling models for Spitsbergen. We estimate the total amount of permafrost SOC currently present in soils on Spitsbergen to be 105.36 Tg (0.11 Pg), with a mean SOC content of 2.84 ± 0.74 kg C m−2 (mean ± 95% confidence interval). Excluding glaciers and permanent snowfields, exposed land is currently estimated to contain 6.26 ± 1.47 kg C m−2.

KW - climate warming

KW - greenhouse gas release

KW - SOC inventory

KW - Soil organic carbon

KW - upscaling model

U2 - 10.1080/17518369.2017.1400363

DO - 10.1080/17518369.2017.1400363

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85043985734

SN - 0800-0395

VL - 36

JO - Polar Research

JF - Polar Research

IS - 1

M1 - 1400363

ER -