Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Establishment of Microbial Eukaryotic Enrichment Cultures from a Chemically Stratified Antarctic Lake and Assessment of Carbon Fixation Potential
Published on: April 20, 2012
Catchment lithology controls net carbon balance along the Antarctic Peninsula
Songfan He1, Xiaowen Zhang2, Huanting Hu1
1State Key Laboratory of Submarine Geoscience; Key Laboratory of Polar Ecosystem and Climate Change, Ministry of Education; and School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Climate-driven ecosystem change in Antarctica is reshaping carbon dynamics and influencing global climate. Under sustained warming, mobilization and reburial of organic carbon (OC) in coastal Antarctica may represent an important carbon sink, yet regional OC burial and oxidation remain poorly quantified. Here, we apply ramped pyrolysis/oxidation analysis and isotopic end-member mixing models to investigate sedimentary OC along two Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) fjords underlain by contrasting bedrock types. We show that the fjord underlain by sedimentary rocks exhibits ten-fold higher burial flux of petrogenic OC (OCpetro) than that dominated by volcanic rocks. We estimate burial fluxes of 6.1-8.8 Gg C yr-1 for biospheric OC (OCbio) and 0.3-3.1 Gg C yr-1 for OCpetro in WAP fjords, respectively, with regional OCbio burial likely exceeding OCpetro oxidation. Model simulations indicate that future ecosystem change may increase regional OC burial flux by 2-4 times, which is critical for predicting the long-term carbon-climate feedback.
More Related Videos
13:38Laser-Induced Fluorescence Emission (L.I.F.E.) as Novel Non-Invasive Tool for In-Situ Measurements of Biomarkers in Cryospheric Habitats
Published on: October 26, 2019
08:09Measuring and Mapping Patterns of Soil Erosion and Deposition Related to Soil Carbonate Concentrations Under Agricultural Management
Published on: September 12, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Net Change Theorem
Microbes and Climate Change
Freshwater Microbial Ecology
The Carbon Cycle
Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Global Climate Change