By: Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering
Recently, Liu Cuiyan, a researcher of the Department of Extraterrestrial Marine Systems, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, as a co-author published "Reduced net methane emissions due to microbial methane oxidation in a warmer Arctic" Article. The study has made new progress in net methane emissions from the Arctic.
The researchers integrated the kinetics of high-affinity methane oxidizing bacteria (HAMs; methane-oxidizing bacteria) and methanogens recently discovered in Arctic mineral soils into a biogeochemical model that includes the dynamics of permafrost soil organic carbon. The new model predicts that since organic carbon in the permafrost will be more easily degraded by microorganisms in warmer climates, the amount of methane emissions from wetlands will double between 2017 and 2100. However, the intensity of methane sinks dominated by HAMs in highland frozen soils is also increasing, thus offsetting most of the methane emissions from wetlands and increasing the net methane emissions in the Arctic by only 18%. It is expected that due to the different physiological responses of HAMs and methanogens to rising temperatures, the net methane emissions in the Arctic may be further reduced.
Article link:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0734-z
Forecast of annual net methane emissions from the Arctic (above 50 ° north latitude) from 2017 to 2100
Editor in charge: Ye Ruiyou