Author: ["J. van Huissteden","C. Berrittella","F. J. W. Parmentier","Y. Mi","T. C. Maximov","A. J. Dolman"]
CITE.CC academic search helps you expand the influence of your papers.
Abstract
Thaw-lake expansion is enhanced by climate warming, potentially feeding back to boost warming further. A new landscape-scale modelling study of the life cycle of Siberian thaw lakes indicates that drainage strongly limits lake expansion. This results in methane-emission estimates that are substantially lower than previously suggested. Thaw lakes in permafrost areas are sources of the strong greenhouse gas methane1,2,3,4,5. They develop mostly in sedimentary lowlands with permafrost and a high excess ground ice volume, resulting in large areas covered with lakes and drained thaw-lake basins (DTLBs; refs 6, 7). Their expansion is enhanced by climate warming, which boosts methane emission and contributes a positive feedback to future climate change3,4,8. Modelling of thaw-lake growth is necessary to quantify this feedback. Here, we present a two-dimensional landscape-scale model that includes the entire life cycle of thaw lakes; initiation, expansion, drainage and eventual re-initiation. Application of our model to past and future lake expansion in northern Siberia shows that lake drainage strongly limits lake expansion, even under conditions of continuous permafrost. Our results suggest that methane emissions from thaw lakes in Siberia are an order of magnitude less alarming than previously suggested, although predicted lake expansion will still profoundly affect permafrost ecosystems and infrastructure.Cite this article
van Huissteden, J., Berrittella, C., Parmentier, F. et al. Methane emissions from permafrost thaw lakes limited by lake drainage. Nature Clim Change 1, 119–123 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1101 