Permafrost represents an enormous potential storehouse of greenhouse gases in the form of frozen carbon and sediment. Increased warming, which has already been observed in the region, results in the increased transport of water and sediment in the rivers.
The purpose of this research project was to determine what effects this increased thawing of the permafrost is having on the transport of carbon, nutrients and metals from Siberia to the Arctic Ocean in the Lena River’s catchment area. The research will improve our understanding of how long-term large-scale changes within the drainage area are affecting the materials that are being transported in the rivers and out into the Arctic Ocean, and will help us understand the consequences if the earth’s temperature continues to rise.
Principal investigator
Per Andersson
Swedish Museum of Natural History