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Abstract The West Siberian Lowland (WSL) contains some of the largest wetlands and most extensive peatlands on Earth, storing vast amounts of vulnerable carbon across permafrost‐free to continuous permafrost zones. As temperature and precipitation changes continue to alter the Siberian landscape, carbon transfer to the atmosphere and export to the Arctic Ocean will be impacted. However, the drivers of organic carbon transfer are largely unknown across this region. We characterized seasonal dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition of WSL rivers from the middle reaches of the Ob’ River in the permafrost‐free zone, as well as tributaries of the Taz River in the northern continuous permafrost zone. DOC and aromatic DOM properties increased from spring to autumn in the Ob’ tributaries, reflecting the seasonal transition from groundwater‐sourced to terrestrial DOM. Differences in molecular‐level signatures via ultra‐high resolution mass spectrometry revealed the influence of redox processes on DOM composition in the winter while terrestrial DOM sourcing shifted from surface litter aliphatics and highly unsaturated and phenolic high‐O/C (HUPHigh O/C) compounds in the spring to subsurface soils and HUPLow O/Ccompounds by autumn. Furthermore, aromaticity and organic N were related to landscape properties including peatlands, forest cover, and the ratio of needleleaf:broadleaf forests. Finally, the Taz River tributaries were similar to summer and autumn Ob’ tributaries, but more enriched in N and S‐containing compounds. These signatures were likely derived from thawing permafrost, which we expect to increase in northern rivers due to active layer expansion in a warming Arctic.
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Pan‐Arctic Riverine Dissolved Organic Matter: Synchronous Molecular Stability, Shifting Sources and Subsidies
Abstract Climate change is dramatically altering Arctic ecosystems, leading to shifts in the sources, composition, and eventual fate of riverine dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the Arctic Ocean. Here we examine a 6‐year DOM compositional record from the six major Arctic rivers using Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry paired with dissolved organic carbon isotope data (Δ14C, δ13C) to investigate how seasonality and permafrost influence DOM, and how DOM export may change with warming. Across the pan‐Arctic, DOM molecular composition demonstrates synchrony and stability. Spring freshet brings recently leached terrestrial DOM with a latent high‐energy and potentially bioavailable subsidy, reconciling the historical paradox between freshet DOM's terrestrial bulk signatures and high biolability. Winter features undiluted baseflow DOM sourced from old, microbially degraded groundwater DOM. A stable core Arctic riverine fingerprint (CARF) is present in all samples and may contribute to the potential carbon sink of persistent, aged DOM in the global ocean. Future warming may lead to shifting sources of DOM and export through: (1) flattening Arctic hydrographs and earlier melt modifying the timing and role of the spring high‐energy subsidy; (2) increasing groundwater discharge resulting in a greater fraction of DOM export to the ocean occurring as stable and aged molecules; and (3) increasing contribution of nitrogen/sulfur‐containing DOM from microbial degradation caused by increased connectivity between groundwater and surface waters due to permafrost thaw. Our findings suggest the ubiquitous CARF (which may contribute to oceanic carbon sequestration) underlies predictable variations in riverine DOM composition caused by seasonality and permafrost extent.
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- PAR ID:
- 10449837
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Global Biogeochemical Cycles
- Volume:
- 35
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 0886-6236
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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