Multimedia Gallery - Radiocarbon dating was used to detect the loss of old soil carbon at this Alaskan research site.

Photo of the Alaskan permafrost research site.

May 27, 2009

Radiocarbon dating was used to detect the loss of old soil carbon at this Alaskan research site.

Twice as much carbon is contained in the soils and permafrost of northern ecosystems compared to the atmosphere. Because of the size and nature of the permafrost carbon pool, decomposition of previously frozen, old organic carbon is one of the most likely positive feedbacks to climate change in a warmer world. Under the direction of Ted Schuur of the University of Florida, this research used radiocarbon dating to detect the loss of old soil carbon in combination with an ecosystem-scale field manipulation to study factors that affect the release of permafrost carbon. These measurements helped quantify the lateral movement of carbon from tundra ecosystems experiencing permafrost thaw, allowing researchers to estimate the overall loss of carbon from these ecosystems.

Credit: Ted Schuur

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