Upland Yedoma taliks are an unpredicted source of atmospheric methane

Abstract

Landscape drying associated with permafrost thaw is expected to enhance microbial methane oxidation in arctic soils. Here we show that ice-rich, Yedoma permafrost deposits, comprising a disproportionately large fraction of pan-arctic soil carbon, present an alternate trajectory. Field and laboratory observations indicate that talik (perennially thawed soils in permafrost) development in unsaturated Yedoma uplands leads to unexpectedly large methane emissions (35–78 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ summer, 150–180 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ winter). Upland Yedoma talik emissions were nearly three times higher annually than northern-wetland emissions on an areal basis. Approximately 70% emissions occurred in winter, when surface-soil freezing abated methanotrophy, enhancing methane escape from the talik. Remote sensing and numerical modeling indicate the potential for widespread upland talik formation across the pan-arctic Yedoma domain during the 21^st and 22^nd centuries. Contrary to current climate model predictions, these findings imply a positive and much larger permafrost-methane-climate feedback for upland Yedoma.

Contrary to current model predictions, this study shows that rapid permafrost thaw in well drained uplands leads to exceedingly high methane emissions ( ~ 10-60 times higher than expected) from deeply-thawed yedoma soils, particularly in winter.