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Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming

Author

Listed:
  • K. M. Walter

    (Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska)

  • S. A. Zimov

    (Northeast Science Station)

  • J. P. Chanton

    (Florida State University)

  • D. Verbyla

    (University of Alaska)

  • F. S. Chapin

    (Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska)

Abstract

Strange brew When frozen ground thaws along lake margins in North Siberia, dead animal and plant remains fall to the lake floor, where they decompose to produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The methane bubbles up to the lake surface and into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Until now, the relative importance of these bubbles has been uncertain because the patchiness of the phenomenon makes it hard to measure. A new study of the Siberian lakes shows that bubbling is a larger source of methane than previously believed, increasing current estimates of emissions from northern wetlands by 10 to 63%. Recent expansion of thaw lakes in the region may have markedly increased methane emissions, suggesting that thaw-lake methane could be a positive feedback to global warming.

Suggested Citation

  • K. M. Walter & S. A. Zimov & J. P. Chanton & D. Verbyla & F. S. Chapin, 2006. "Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming," Nature, Nature, vol. 443(7107), pages 71-75, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:443:y:2006:i:7107:d:10.1038_nature05040
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05040
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    Cited by:

    1. Natalya Misyurkeeva & Igor Buddo & Gleb Kraev & Aleksandr Smirnov & Alexey Nezhdanov & Ivan Shelokhov & Anna Kurchatova & Andrei Belonosov, 2022. "Periglacial Landforms and Fluid Dynamics in the Permafrost Domain: A Case from the Taz Peninsula, West Siberia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Bruce R. Conard, 2013. "Some Challenges to Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(8), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Clay Ogg, 2007. "Environmental Challenges Associated With Corn Ethanol Production," NCEE Working Paper Series 200705, National Center for Environmental Economics, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, revised Apr 2007.
    4. Anne‐Sophie Crépin & Eric Nævdal, 2020. "Inertia Risk: Improving Economic Models of Catastrophes," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(4), pages 1259-1285, October.
    5. Bradley, Tom & Maga, Daniel & Antón, Sara, 2015. "Unified approach to Life Cycle Assessment between three unique algae biofuel facilities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 1052-1061.
    6. Mauro Guglielmin & Nicoletta Cannone, 2012. "A permafrost warming in a cooling Antarctica?," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 177-195, March.
    7. Lilin Zheng & Zilong Xia & Jianhua Xu & Yaning Chen & Haiqing Yang & Dahui Li, 2021. "Exploring annual lake dynamics in Xinjiang (China): spatiotemporal features and driving climate factors from 2000 to 2019," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 166(3), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Guan, Zhibin & Li, Ping & Wen, Yumei & Du, Yu & Han, Tao & Ji, Xiaojun, 2021. "Efficient underwater energy harvesting from bubble-driven pipe flow," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 295(C).
    9. Alyona A. Shestakova & Alexander N. Fedorov & Yaroslav I. Torgovkin & Pavel Y. Konstantinov & Nikolay F. Vasyliev & Svetlana V. Kalinicheva & Vera V. Samsonova & Tetsuya Hiyama & Yoshihiro Iijima & Ho, 2021. "Mapping the Main Characteristics of Permafrost on the Basis of a Permafrost-Landscape Map of Yakutia Using GIS," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Zhichao Xu & Wei Shan & Ying Guo & Chengcheng Zhang & Lisha Qiu, 2022. "Swamp Wetlands in Degraded Permafrost Areas Release Large Amounts of Methane and May Promote Wildfires through Friction Electrification," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-28, July.
    11. Guibiao Yang & Zhihu Zheng & Benjamin W. Abbott & David Olefeldt & Christian Knoblauch & Yutong Song & Luyao Kang & Shuqi Qin & Yunfeng Peng & Yuanhe Yang, 2023. "Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Alexey Desyatkin & Pavel Fedorov & Nikolay Filippov & Roman Desyatkin, 2020. "Climate Change and Its Influence on the Active Layer Depth in Central Yakutia," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-13, December.

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