Earth’s Cryosphere, 2025, Vol. XXIX, No. 1, p. 45-56.

GASES AND GAS HYDRATES IN THE EARTH’S CRYOSPHERE

CARBON DIOXIDE RELEASE FROM MELTED GROUND ICE SAMPLES UNDER CONDITIONS OF AN INCUBATION EXPERIMENT

P.B. Semenov1,*, A.O. Kil1, E.V. Shatrova1,2, N.G. Belova3,4, O.V. Levochkina4, M.O. Leibman4, G.E. Oblogov4, A.V. Khomutov4,5, I.D. Streletskaya3

1 All-Russia Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean (VNIIOkeanologiya), Angliiskii pr. 1, St. Petersburg, 190121 Russia
2 Institute of Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, 10th Line V.O. 33–35, St. Petersburg, 199178 Russia
3 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Geography, Leninskie Gory 1, Moscow, 119991 Russia
4 Earth Cryosphere Institute, Tyumen Scientific Centre, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Malygina St. 86, Tyumen, 625026 Russia
5 Industrial University of Tyumen, Volodarskogo St. 38, Tyumen, 625000 Russia
*Corresponding author; e-mail: p.semenov@vniio.ru

This work aims to study the quantitative transformation of dissolved organic matter into CO2 in ground ice samples collected from typical exposures of the Russian Arctic under conditions of an incubation experiment. The CO2 emission during incubation has two peaks, the first being associated with the utilization of organic carbon dissolved in ground ice; and the second, with the mobilization of organic matter from the solid fraction of melted ground ice. Melted ice samples are characterized by high values of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (>65%) and a significant positive correlation (R2 = 0.82) between the values of cumulative CO2 emission and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon. Our data indicate a high potential of ground ice as a source of labile carbon in the ecosystem under thermodenudation.

Keywords: ground ice, dissolved organic matter, carbon dioxide, incubation experiments, biodegradable dissolved organic carbon.

Recommended citation: Semenov P.B., Kil A.O., Shatrova E.V., Belova N.G., Levochkina O.V., Leibman M.O., Oblogov G.E., Khomutov A.V., Streletskaya I.D., 2025. Carbon dioxide release from melted ground ice samples under conditions of an incubation experiment. Earth’s Cryosphere XXIX (1), 45–56.

Received August 5, 2024
Revised October 10, 2024
Accepted December 14, 2024
Translated by M.O. Leibman