Hidden Sinks: The Overlooked Side of Arctic Methane
Methane (CH₄) emissions from Arctic wetlands, lakes, and streams are well studied, but CH₄ uptake in well-drained soils remains largely overlooked. This workshop explores the growing evidence of CH₄ sinks and their role in refining Arctic methane budget estimates.
It is well established that the concentration of the powerful greenhouse gas methane (CH4) is growing in the atmosphere. There is currently a wide range in estimates of high-latitude annual CH4 fluxes, where estimates based on land cover, empirical CH4 flux data and process models. Currently, high-latitude wetlands, streams and lakes are studied intensively due to their high CH4 emission, resulting in a biased Arctic CH4 budget towards emissions.
However, often overlooked, due to the complex nature, is CH4 uptake, a biological process that reduces the CH4 emissions and consumes atmospheric CH4. Growing evidence has pointed to a significant and vastly occurring sink of atmospheric CH4 in well drained arctic soils. Processes in the Arctic landscape are largely misunderstood or ignored in many model projections, therefore the inclusion of such data and mechanisms may help constrain the pan arctic CH4 budget.
For detailed program - see below.
Program day 1
| Session | Session head | Room | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meet & greet | J. White & M. Björkman | TBA | 09.30–10.00 |
| Introduction to the workshop | Joel White | TBA | 10.00–10.45 |
| Coffee break | TBA | 10.45–11.15 | |
| Lecture: Pan arctic CH4 budget | Frans-Jan Parmentier | TBA | 11.15–12.00 |
| Lunch | TBA | 12.00–13.00 | |
| Lecture: CH4 oxidation via methanotrophic Bacteria | Alexander Tviet | TBA | 13.00–14.00 |
| Coffee break | TBA | 14.00–14.30 | |
| Lecture: Plant level CH4 oxidation | Luke Jeffrey (TBC) | TBA | 14.30–15.30 |
| Exercise: Identifying important CH4 oxidation processes for data collection | All participants | TBA | 15.30–16.30 |
| Poster session and mingle | J. White & M. Björkman | TBA | 16.30–17.30 |
| Dinner | J. White & M. Björkman | TBA | 19.00 |
Program day 2
| Session | Session head | Room | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise: Report back findings from yesterday’s exercise | Joel White | TBA | 09.00–10.00 |
| Lecture: Challenges and opportunities | Bo Elberling | TBA | 10.00–10.45 |
| Coffee break | TBA | 10.45–11.15 | |
| Networking: Who collects/models what? Connecting experimentalists to modelers | Joel White | TBA | 11.15–12.00 |
| Lunch | TBA | 12.00–13.00 | |
| Exercise: Proposed CH4 oxidation project | Mats Björkman | TBA | 13.00–14.00 |
| Coffee break | TBA | 14.00–14.30 | |
| Exercise: Identifying potential contributors to a proposed project | J. White & M. Björkman | TBA | 14.30–15.30 |
| Workshop results and wrap-up | All participants | TBA | 15.30–16.30 |