Riverine CO2 variations in permafrost catchments of the Yangtze River source region: Hot spots and hot moments

Rivers and streams are pivotal modulators in regional and global carbon cycles, but riverine CO2 flux is still uncertain for permafrost watersheds. Here we present the seasonal CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) and CO2 emission flux (FCO2) of 8 rivers and streams in the Yangtze River source region (YRSR), which have high permafrost coverage and seasonally thawed active layer. The YRSR rivers and streams are generally supersaturated with CO2, although there are a few sites with CO2 undersaturation during spring. The small headwater streams are CO2 hot spots that show significantly higher pCO2 (52 % higher) and FCO2 (792 % higher) than larger rivers. Both pCO2 and FCO2 show distinct seasonality across the study sites. pCO2 and FCO2 peak in summer and exhibit much lower levels in autumn and spring, indicating that hot moments of riverine CO2 occur in summer. Seasonal pCO2 and FCO2 variations are jointly controlled by hydrology, active layer dynamics and associated processes. The warm summer causes active layer thaw and highly active soil respiration, which release a large quantity of soil carbon and increase the CO2 sources via strengthened hydrologic connectivity. The high rainfall and more thaw-released water in summer bring high discharge, which can increase the water velocity and gas exchange rate and thus CO2 emission flux. Most of the variances of seasonal FCO2 (95 %) can be explained by hydrology and active layer thaw depth. Nevertheless, the hydrological process and seasonally thawed active layer over Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) play crucial roles in riverine carbon export due to the summer monsoon-dominated climate in QTP. Our results suggest that full seasonal coverage of CO2 dynamics is essential to quantify the annual CO2 flux accurately. Changing climate and warming permafrost may alter the annual CO2 emission due to deeper flow paths, hydrology changes, and longer emission windows throughout the year.

Automated summary

Riverine CO2 flux in permafrost watersheds is still uncertain. This study presents the seasonal pCO2 and FCO2 of rivers and streams in the Yangtze River source region, highlighting the importance of hydrology and active layer dynamics in controlling CO2 variation. The results suggest that accurate quantification of annual CO2 flux requires full seasonal coverage of CO2 dynamics.