Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau
Abstract Understanding methane (CH4) emission from thermokarst lakes is crucial for predicting the impacts of abrupt thaw on the permafrost carbon-climate feedback. However, observational evidence, especially from high-altitude permafrost regions, is still scarce. Here, by combining field surveys, r...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38907-6 |
| _version_ | 1797811446459924480 |
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| author | Guibiao Yang Zhihu Zheng Benjamin W. Abbott David Olefeldt Christian Knoblauch Yutong Song Luyao Kang Shuqi Qin Yunfeng Peng Yuanhe Yang |
| author_facet | Guibiao Yang Zhihu Zheng Benjamin W. Abbott David Olefeldt Christian Knoblauch Yutong Song Luyao Kang Shuqi Qin Yunfeng Peng Yuanhe Yang |
| author_sort | Guibiao Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding methane (CH4) emission from thermokarst lakes is crucial for predicting the impacts of abrupt thaw on the permafrost carbon-climate feedback. However, observational evidence, especially from high-altitude permafrost regions, is still scarce. Here, by combining field surveys, radio- and stable-carbon isotopic analyses, and metagenomic sequencing, we present multiple characteristics of CH4 emissions from 120 thermokarst lakes in 30 clusters along a 1100 km transect on the Tibetan Plateau. We find that thermokarst lakes have high CH4 emissions during the ice-free period (13.4 ± 1.5 mmol m−2 d−1; mean ± standard error) across this alpine permafrost region. Ebullition constitutes 84% of CH4 emissions, which are fueled primarily by young carbon decomposition through the hydrogenotrophic pathway. The relative abundances of methanogenic genes correspond to the observed CH4 fluxes. Overall, multiple parameters obtained in this study provide benchmarks for better predicting the strength of permafrost carbon-climate feedback in high-altitude permafrost regions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:23:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0d5208d96cf4cfe904021a1f5fc7e8f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T07:23:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0d5208d96cf4cfe904021a1f5fc7e8f2023-06-04T11:32:22ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232023-05-0114111110.1038/s41467-023-38907-6Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan PlateauGuibiao Yang0Zhihu Zheng1Benjamin W. Abbott2David Olefeldt3Christian Knoblauch4Yutong Song5Luyao Kang6Shuqi Qin7Yunfeng Peng8Yuanhe Yang9State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young UniversityDepartment of Renewable Resources, University of AlbertaInstitute of Soil Science, University of HamburgState Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesState Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesAbstract Understanding methane (CH4) emission from thermokarst lakes is crucial for predicting the impacts of abrupt thaw on the permafrost carbon-climate feedback. However, observational evidence, especially from high-altitude permafrost regions, is still scarce. Here, by combining field surveys, radio- and stable-carbon isotopic analyses, and metagenomic sequencing, we present multiple characteristics of CH4 emissions from 120 thermokarst lakes in 30 clusters along a 1100 km transect on the Tibetan Plateau. We find that thermokarst lakes have high CH4 emissions during the ice-free period (13.4 ± 1.5 mmol m−2 d−1; mean ± standard error) across this alpine permafrost region. Ebullition constitutes 84% of CH4 emissions, which are fueled primarily by young carbon decomposition through the hydrogenotrophic pathway. The relative abundances of methanogenic genes correspond to the observed CH4 fluxes. Overall, multiple parameters obtained in this study provide benchmarks for better predicting the strength of permafrost carbon-climate feedback in high-altitude permafrost regions.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38907-6 |
| spellingShingle | Guibiao Yang Zhihu Zheng Benjamin W. Abbott David Olefeldt Christian Knoblauch Yutong Song Luyao Kang Shuqi Qin Yunfeng Peng Yuanhe Yang Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau Nature Communications |
| title | Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the tibetan plateau |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38907-6 |
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