You can see a small hut with a measuring tower, which is equipped with a variety of sensors. One looks over the drained area in the flood plain in the Kolyma lowlands. 
It is summer. In the foreground a few small trees, otherwise the landscape is green and flat until the horizon, where you can see a mountain cone. The sky is full of clouds and a rainbow stretches from left to right across the entire sky.

Cherskii (Russia)

Permafrost ecosystem in the Kolyma lowlands

Atmospheric fluxes of carbon dioxide in a permafrost ecosystem.

Description & History

The study area is located in a vast floodplain in the Kolyma lowlands, Cherskii, Russia.

The area is located about 100 km south of the Arctic Ocean and is largely characterized by migrating rivers and lakes. In winter, the formation of ice wedges and frost polygons up to 20 m in diameter takes place over the entire area.

The region is characterized by thermokarst depressions and water holes. Thermokarst is defined as a landscape characterized by shallow depressions and depressions formed by the thawing of ground ice and permafrost, respectively. The water holes continue to expand and deepen, merging into lakes, and these in turn continue to expand by a few meters a year because of thermokarst erosion.

When these lakes grow to the nearest river bank, they are drained by this river and a wide depression (Laida) is formed. These Laida depressions are flooded annually and after a long period of succession they become tussock grasslands (Corradi et al., 2005).

The vegetation of these Laida depressions is dominated by Calamagrostis species, while the undermined flat areas are dominated by tussock grass (Carex appendiculata) with cotton grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) growing in the gaps between the tussocks. Topographically higher areas, such as the riverbanks, are covered with larch or willow (Corradi et al., 2005) .

Eddy measurements (CO2, sensible & latent heat flux) were taken in the summer of 2005 after a drained site was created by artificially induced water stress (ditch). The 3 following years were also measured under normal conditions with almost the same equipment (Corradi et al., 2005).

In 2013, two new eddyfluid towers were constructed to measure fluxes of CO2 and H2O with an LI 7500 open-path gas analyzer. One tower is located on the artificially drained area and the second tower is located on a nearby control area.

Since 2014, CH4 has also been measured using a Fast Greenhouse gas analyzer from Los Gatos Research.

Since 2013, there are also 10 measurement chambers on each of the two areas. These measurement chambers are equipped to measure carbon dioxide and methane exchange via tussocks.

Location

Permafrost area with tussocks (grass tufts)
Latitude: 68,61
Longitude: 161,34

Overview

  • 2002-2005 TCOS
  • 2013 PAGE 21, PerCCOM
  • Eddy Covariance (CO2, Methane)
  • Meteorology
  • Methane and CO2 chamber measurements via Tussocks

Projects

  • PAGE21
  • PerCCOM
  • CarboPerm
  • TCOS-SIBERIA
  • Q-Arctic

Collaboration

Pleistocene Park Sergei A. Zimov, Northeast Science Station (NESS), Cherskii, RU

Variables & Instruments

"Drainage Tower"

Rivers

  • Eddy covariance - CH4, CO2, water vapor, momentum, heat flux (USA-1, LI7500 and Los Gatos)

Meteorology

  • Wind speed and direction - Ultrasonic Anemometer USA-1, Metek
  • Wind speed and direction - Ultrasonic Anemometer 3D, Thies
  • Air pressure - pressure transducer 61302V, Young
  • Air temperature and humidity 2 m and 6 m - - temperature-humidity sensor KPK1_6-ME-H38, Mela
  • Precipitation - heated tipping bucket precipitation gauge, Thies
  • Solar radiation - radiation balance sensor CNR4, Kipp & Zonen
  • Terrestrial radiation - radiation balance sensor CNR4, tilt & zones
  • Photosynthetically active radiation - PAR Sensor PQS1, Tilt & Zones

Ground conditions

  • Snow depth - Sonic ranging sensor for snow depth SR50AH, Campbell Scientific
  • Soil moisture - Soil moisture probe ML-2x, Delta-T

Data Collection

  • Meteorological data - CR3000 data logger, Campbell Scientific
  • River data - notebook
  • Vegetation - digital camera

"Control Tower”

Flows

  • Eddy covariance - CH4, CO2, water vapor, momentum, heat flux (USA-1, LI7500 and Los Gatos)

Meteorology

  • Wind speed and direction - Ultrasonic Anemometer USA-1, Metek
  • Air pressure - pressure transducer 61302V, Young
  • Air temperature and humidity 2 m and 6 m - - temperature-humidity sensor KPK1_6-ME-H38, Mela
  • Precipitation - heated tipping bucket precipitation gauge, Thies
  • Solar radiation - radiation balance sensor CNR4, Kipp & Zonen
  • Terrestrial radiation - radiation balance sensor CNR4, tilt & zones
  • Photosynthetically active radiation - PAR Sensor PQS1, Tilt & Zones

Ground conditions

  • Snow depth - Sonic ranging sensor for snow depth SR50AH, Campbell Scientific
  • Soil moisture - Soil moisture probe ML-2x, Delta-T

Data Collection

  • Meteorological data - CR3000 data logger, Campbell Scientific
  • Flux data - Notebook
  • Flux data - computer

"Tussock chambers"

Fluxes

  • Chamber measurements of CH4, CO2, H2O - Ultra-portable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer UGGA 915-0011-1000, Los Gatos

Meteorology

  • Air pressure - pressure transducer 61302V, Young
  • Air temperature and humidity - temperature-humidity sensor KPK1_9-ME, Mela

Soil conditions

  • Soil temperature - Soil temperature profile probe Th3-s, Hoskin Scientific
  • Soil moisture - soil moisture probe ML-2x, DeltaT

Data acquisition

  • Flux data - computer
  • Meteorological data and soil conditions - datalogger CR1000, Campbell Scientific

Publications

Kittler, F.; Burjack, I.; Corradi, C. A. R.; Heimann, M.; Kolle, O.; Merbold, L.; Zimov, N.; Zimov, S.; Göckede, M.: Impacts of a decadal drainage disturbance on surface–atmosphere fluxes of carbon dioxide in a permafrost ecosystem. Biogeosciences 13 (18), pp. 5315 - 5332 (2016)
Corradi, C.; Kolle, O.; Walter, K.; Zimov, S. A.; Schulze, E.-D.: Carbon dioxide and methane exchange of a north-east Siberian tussock tundra. Global Change Biology 11 (11), pp. 1910 - 1925 (2005)
Merbold, L.; Kutsch, W. L.; Corradi, C.; Kolle, O.; Rebmann, C.; Stoy, P. C.; Zimov, S. A.; Schulze, E.-D.: Artificial drainage and associated carbon fluxes (CO2/CH4) in a tundra ecosystem. Global Change Biology 15 (11), pp. 2599 - 2614 (2009)
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