Description: 〈jats:title〉Abstract〈/jats:title〉〈jats:p〉Erosion of permafrost coasts due to climate warming releases large quantities of organic carbon (OC) into the Arctic Ocean. While burial of permafrost OC in marine sediments potentially limits degradation, resuspension of sediments in the nearshore zone potentially enhances degradation and greenhouse gas production, adding to the “permafrost carbon feedback.” Recent studies, focusing on bulk sediments, suggest that permafrost OC derived from coastal erosion is predominantly deposited close to shore. However, bulk approaches disregard sorting processes in the coastal zone, which strongly influence the OC distribution and fate. We studied soils and sediments along a transect from the fast‐eroding shoreline of Herschel Island—〈jats:italic〉Qikiqtaruk〈/jats:italic〉 (Yukon, Canada) to a depositional basin offshore. Sample material was fractionated by density (1.8 g cm〈jats:sup〉−3〈/jats:sup〉) and size (63 μm), separating loose OC from mineral‐associated OC. Each fraction was analyzed for element content (TOC, TN), carbon isotopes (δ〈jats:sup〉13〈/jats:sup〉C, Δ〈jats:sup〉14〈/jats:sup〉C), molecular biomarkers (〈jats:italic〉n〈/jats:italic〉‐alkanes, 〈jats:italic〉n〈/jats:italic〉‐alkanoic acids, lignin phenols, cutin acids), and mineral surface area. The OC partitioning between fractions changes considerably along the transect, highlighting the importance of hydrodynamic sorting in the nearshore zone. Additionally, OC and biomarker loadings decrease along the land‐ocean transect, indicating significant loss of OC during transport. However, molecular proxies for degradation show contrasting trends, suggesting that OC losses are not always well reflected in its degradation state. This study, using fraction partitioning that crosses land‐ocean boundaries in a way not done before, aids to disentangle sorting processes from degradation patterns, and provides quantitative insight into losses of thawed and eroded permafrost OC.〈/jats:p〉

Description: Warming air and sea temperatures, longer open-water seasons and sea-level rise promote the erosion of permafrost coasts in the Arctic, which profoundly impacts organic matter pathways. Although estimates on organic carbon (OC) fluxes from erosion exist for some parts of the Arctic, little is known about how much OC is transformed into greenhouse gases (GHGs). In this study we investigated two different coastal erosion scenarios on Qikiqtaruk – Herschel Island (Canada) and estimate the potential for GHG formation. We distinguished between a delayed release represented by mud debris draining a coastal thermoerosional feature and a direct release represented by cliff debris at a low collapsing bluff. Carbon dioxide (CO2) production was measured during incubations at 4 °C under aerobic conditions for two months and were modelled for four months and a full year. Our incubation results show that mud debris and cliff debris lost a considerable amount of OC as CO2 (2.5 ± 0.2 and 1.6 ± 0.3% of OC, respectively). Although relative OC losses were highest in mineral mud debris, higher initial OC content and fresh organic matter in cliff debris resulted in a ~three times higher cumulative CO2 release (4.0 ± 0.9 compared to 1.4 ± 0.1 mg CO2 gdw-1), which was further increased by the addition of seawater. After four months, modelled OC losses were 4.9 ± 0.1 and 3.2 ± 0.3% in set-ups without seawater and 14.3 ± 0.1 and 7.3 ± 0.8% in set-ups with seawater. The results indicate that a delayed release may support substantial cycling of OC at relatively low CO2 production rates during long transit times onshore during the Arctic warm season. By contrast, direct erosion may result in a single CO2 pulse and less substantial OC cycling onshore as transfer times are short. Once eroded sediments are deposited in the nearshore, highest OC losses can be expected. We conclude that the release of CO2 from eroding permafrost coasts varies considerably between erosion types and residence time onshore. We emphasize the importance of a more comprehensive understanding of OC degradation during the coastal erosion process to improve thawed carbon trajectories and models.