Biodegradation of Ancient Organic Carbon Fuels Seabed Methane Emission
at the Arctic Continental Shelves
Abstract
This study explores the carbon stability in the Arctic permafrost
following the sea level transgression since the Last Glacial Maximum
(LGM). Arctic permafrost is a significant natural reservoir of
greenhouse gas which is stored in frozen organic carbon, methane
hydrates and natural gas reservoirs. Post-LGM sea level transgression
resulted in ocean water, which is up to 20 oC warmer compared to the
average annual air mass, inundating, and thawing the permafrost. This
study develops a one-dimensional multiphase flow, multicomponent
transport numerical model and apply it to investigate the coupled
thermal, hydrological, microbial, and chemical processes occurring in
the thawing permafrost. Results show that microbial methane is produced
and vented to the seawater immediately upon the flooding of the Arctic
continental shelves. This microbial methane is generated by
biodegradation of the previously frozen organic carbon in the thawing
permafrost. The maximum seabed methane flux is predicted in the shallow
water where the sediment has been warmed up, but the remaining amount of
organic carbon is still high. It is less likely to induce seabed methane
emission from methane hydrate dissociation. Such situation only happens
when there is very shallow (~200 m depth),
intra-permafrost methane hydrate, the occurrence of which is limited.
This study provides insights into the limits of methane release from the
ongoing flooding of the Arctic permafrost, which is critical to
understand the role of the Arctic permafrost in the carbon cycle, ocean
chemistry and climate change.