ALBERT

Note: Dissertation, Universität Potsdam, 2019 , Table of contents Abstract Zusammenfassung Abbreviations 1 Introduction 1.1 Scientific background 1.1.1 Permafrost in the Northern Hemisphere 1.1.2 The permafrost carbon climate feedback 1.1.3 Rapidly changing, deep permafrost environments 1.2 Aims of this dissertation 1.3 Investigated study areas 1.4 Basic method overview 1.4.1 Field work in the Arctic 1.4.2 Laboratory procedure 1.4.3 Analysis ofl andscape-scale carbon and nitrogen stocks 1.5 Thesis organization 1.6 Overview of publications 1.6.1 Publication#1 - Yedoma landscape publication 1.6.2 Publication#2 - Thermokarst lake sequence publication 1.6.3 Publication#3 - North Alaska Arctic river delta publication 1.6.4 Extended Abstract - Western Alaska river delta study 1.6.5 Appendices - Supplementary material and paper in preparation II Carbon and nitrogen pools in thermokarst-affected permafrost landscapes in Arctic Siberia 2.1 Abstract 2.2 Introduction 2.3 Material and methods 2.3.1 Study area 2.3.2 Field Work 2.3.3 Laboratory analysis 2.3.4 Landform classification and upscaling C and N pools 2.4 Results 2.4.1 Sedimentological results 2.4.2 Sampling site SOC and N stocks 2.4.3 Upscaling: Landscape SOC and N stocks 2.4.4 Radiocarbon dates 2.5 Discussion 2.5.1 Site specific soil organic C and N stock characteristics 2.5.2 Upscaling of C and N pools 2.5.3 Sediment and organic C accumulation rates 2.5.4 Characterizing soil organic carbon 2.5.5 The fate of organic carbon in thermokarst-affected yedoma in Siberia 2.6 Conclusions III Impacts of successive thermokarst lake stages on soil organic matter, Arctic Alaska 3.1 Abstract 3.2 Plain language summary 3.3 Introduction 3.4 Study site 3.5 Methods 3.5.1 Core collection 3.5.2 Biogeochemical analyses 3.5.3 Study area OC and N calculation 3.6 Results 3.6.1 Biogeochemistry 3.6.2 Sediment organic carbon and nitrogen stocks 3.6.3 Radiocarbon dates and carbon accumulation rates 3.6.4 Landscape C and N budget 3.7 Discussion 3.7.1 Impact of thermokarst lake dynamics on organic matter storage 3.7.2 High organic C and N stocks on the ACP 3.7.3 Landscape chronology 3.7.4 Organic matter accumulation 3.7.5 Future development 3.8 Conclusions IV Sedimentary and geochemical characteristics of two small permafrost-dominated Arctic river deltas in northern Alaska 4.1 Abstract 4.2 Introduction 4.3 Study area 4.4 Material and Methods 4.4.1 Soil organic carbon and soil nitrogen storage 4.4.2 Radiocarbon dating and organic carbon accumulation rates 4.4.3 Grain size distribution 4.4.4 Scaling carbon and nitrogen contents to landscape level 4.5 Results 4.5.1 Carbon and nitrogen contents 4.5.2 Radiocarbon dates and accumulation rates 4.5.3 Grain size distribution 4.5.4 Arctic river delta carbon and nitrogen storage 4.6. Discussion 4.6.1 Significance of carbon and nitrogen stocks in Arctic river deltas 4.6.2 SOC and SN distribution with depth 4.6.3 Sedimentary characteristics 4.6.3.1 Accumulation rates 4.6.3.2 Sediment distribution 4.6.4 Impacts of future changes 4.6.5 Significance of remotely sensed upscaling results 4.7 Conclusions V Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in Arctic river deltas - New data for three Western Alaskan deltas 5.1 Abstract 5.2 Introduction 5.3 Study sites 5.4 Methods 5.5 Results and discussion 5.5 Conclusions VI Discussion 6.1 Interregional comparison 6.2 Changing thermokarst landscapes and their global impact 6.3 A growing C and N data base 6.4 Outlook - potential follow-up projects VII Synthesis VIII References Appendix A Synthesis of SOC and N inventories Appendix B Supplementary material to Chapter II Appendix C Supplementary material to Chapter III Appendix D Supplementary material to Chapter IV Appendix E Supplementary material to Chapter V Appendix F Arctic river delta data set - Version 1.0 Acknowledgements - Danksagung