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Inner Laptev Sea methane appears to come from old microbial sources

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Research area:environment-climateclimate-impacts

What the study found

The study found that high methane concentrations in the shallow water column above subsea permafrost in the inner Laptev Sea are best explained by old microbial methane, meaning methane made by microbes and older than 48,000 years before present. The authors report that this methane appears to be released from preformed methane pools stored within the subsea permafrost system.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors say this matters because the subsea source of methane on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf is still poorly understood, even though it is important for predicting future methane emissions. The findings indicate that several sources contribute to the elevated methane on the shelf, and the authors conclude that future methane-release estimates need to account for this diversity of sources.

What the researchers tested

The researchers analyzed dissolved methane concentrations, triple-isotopic fingerprinting, and Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo statistics. They sampled methane during four expeditions from 2016 to 2020 in the inner Laptev Sea and compared their results with earlier findings from the outer Laptev Sea.

What worked and what didn't

The combination of concentration measurements, triple-isotope analysis, and Bayesian statistics pointed to old microbial methane as the main source in the inner Laptev Sea. This contrasts with earlier findings in the outer Laptev Sea, where methane release was reported to be predominantly thermogenic, meaning formed by heat-driven geological processes.

What to keep in mind

The abstract does not describe detailed limitations, and the findings are based on samples from the inner Laptev Sea collected during four expeditions. The authors also note that the shelf methane signal likely reflects multiple sources, so the study does not present a single-source explanation for all elevated methane in the region.

Key points

  • High methane concentrations were observed in the shallow water column above subsea permafrost in the inner Laptev Sea.
  • The methane was interpreted as old microbial methane, with a radiocarbon age greater than 48,000 years before present.
  • The authors suggest the methane is being released from preformed pools stored within the subsea permafrost system.
  • The study used dissolved methane measurements, triple-isotopic fingerprinting, and Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo statistics.
  • The authors conclude that future methane estimates should consider multiple methane sources on the shelf.

Disclosure

Research title:
Inner Laptev Sea methane appears to come from old microbial sources
Authors:
Marenka Brussee, Henry Holmstrand, Birgit Wild, Denis Kosmach, D. B. Chernykh, N. E. Shakhova, Arkadiy Kurilenko, I. Semiletov, Örjan Gustafsson
Institutions:
Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Institute of Geosphere Dynamics, Stockholm University, Stockholm University, Stockholm University, Stockholm University, V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute
Publication date:
2026-01-30
DOI:
10.1038/s43247-026-03222-7
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: This post was generated by gpt-5.4-mini (OpenAI). The original authors did not write or review this post.

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