Methane is a radiatively active, naturally occurring atmospheric trace gas which is thought to account for as much as 19% of the enhanced greenhouse effect. Ice core studies have shown that the atmospheric concentration has more than doubled since pre-industrial times. Wetlands are the largest natural source of atmospheric methane, contributing around 21 % of the annual global flux. The magnitude of various sources of methane is still poorly defined. Stable isotope measurements are increasingly being used to constrain global budgets of atmospheric trace gases because isotopic analysis provides a much clearer picture of global atmospheric chemistry than C~ concentration measurements alone. Conventional analytical techniques for studying dual stable isotopic composition of methane (813e and 8D) require prohibitively large quantities of CH4 for analysis. At the Planetary Sciences Research Institute of the Open University, a highly sensitive static mass spectrometer has been developed which uniquely uses CH4 as the analyte. The method requires only 8 ng ofCH4 for analysis «10 ml ambient air), making replicated measurements of the isotopic composition of CH4 emissions from wetlands feasible for the first time. Methane emissions from an ombrotrophic mire in Snowdonia have been measured over 2 years, (1995-1997) and analysed for 817M. Parallel laboratory studies have also been conducted, to constrain the effects of environmental variables such as peat temperature and water table depth. The presence of vascular plants enhanced methane flux. In the field, methane flux showed seasonal variation. Peat temperature and water table depth could account for 68% of this variation. The isotopic composition of methane flux from the ombrotrophic mire also exhibited seasonal variation, with 817M ranging from -34 to -17%0. The lowest values were observed in summer and the highest in winter. Variations in the isotopic composition of peat water are unlikely to account for more than a 2%0 shift in 817M. Although there was a strong correlation between peat temperature and methane isotopic composition in the field, peat temperature is thought to be an indirect effect, because in laboratory studies this relationship was absent. There was no relationship between water table depth and 817M. It was concluded that the seasonal variation in the isotopic composition of methane emission is linked to the plant growth cycle. Comparison of 817M values determined for methane emissions in Snowdonia with published 813C and 8D data leads to the conclusion that methane is produced mainly by C02 reduction. Contrasting terrains in a paisa mire in the Arctic region of Finland exhibited methane _ emissions with distinct 817M values: lakes, +4.8 ±1.2%0; pools, -3.9 ±O.IO/oo and hummocks, -28.6 ±5.8%0 . From these isotope data it was concluded that in pool and lake sediments the methanogenic pathway is acetate fermentation, while in hummocks methane is produced by CO2 reduction. This study is the first investigation of the stable isotopic composition of methane emissions from wetlands in the UK. The data collected in Snowdonia, and in Finland, show the need for systematic, year round isotopic analysis of methane emissions, if isotope data are to be used in constraining the global methane budget.

Two peat cores from two mires with different characteristics, but both containingpermafrost features and located in the eastern part of the Tavvavuoma mire complex innorthernmost Sweden, were analysed for macrofossils and geochemical properties. Local vegetationsequences and changes in geochemical properties of peat were used to reconstruct development ofthe studied mires during the Holocene. The study includes measurements of water/ice content, bulkdensity, loss-on-ignition and C/N ratio. Radiocarbon dates for peatland inception and permafrostaggradation are available. The main purpose of the study is to verify permafrost history in thepeatlands. The results of the macrofossil analysis and values of C/N ratio indicate nutrient poor tointermediate fen environments in both studied mires until recently. Signs of permafrost upheavalwhich caused formation of xerophilic peat can be proved only since late 1950’s. The study resultscorroborate with other studies from Northern Fennoscandia and infer peatland initiation soon afterthe deglaciation of the area and permafrost-free conditions throughout entire Holocene untilrecently.

An investigation of permafrost (permanently frozen soil) was conducted in Canada’s subarctic region of Northern Ontario. Environmental baseline conditions and permafrost states were estimated using seasonal freezing and thawing energies based on observed climate data and the Stefan equation. Field studies provided measurements of the active layer depths and validated the permafrost states; laboratory studies of the soil samples provided characterization for organic materials that have high affinity for soil moisture. Palsas (unique dome-like formations) were observed to have enhanced permafrost cores beneath a thermal insulating organic layer. With climate change, results suggest the possibility of shifts from the classification of continuous to discontinuous permafrost states in areas lacking the presence of organic materials that can have environmental and ecological impacts. Northern infrastructures may become destabilized with the degradation of permafrost while palsas may become lone permafrost refuges for biodiversity that depend on cooler ecosystems, such as polar bears.

An investigation of permafrost (permanently frozen soil) was conducted in Canada’s subarctic region of Northern Ontario. Environmental baseline conditions and permafrost states were estimated using seasonal freezing and thawing energies based on observed climate data and the Stefan equation. Field studies provided measurements of the active layer depths and validated the permafrost states; laboratory studies of the soil samples provided characterization for organic materials that have high affinity for soil moisture. Palsas (unique dome-like formations) were observed to have enhanced permafrost cores beneath a thermal insulating organic layer. With climate change, results suggest the possibility of shifts from the classification of continuous to discontinuous permafrost states in areas lacking the presence of organic materials that can have environmental and ecological impacts. Northern infrastructures may become destabilized with the degradation of permafrost while palsas may become lone permafrost refuges for biodiversity that depend on cooler ecosystems, such as polar bears.

The widespread degradation of permafrost-cored palsa mires due to global warming necessitates accurate quantification to estimate potential greenhouse gas (GHG) flux changes. This study utilized high-resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) imagery to quantify palsa degradation dynamics, including lateral, vertical, and geomorphological changes in the Storflaket palsa mire in north-west Sweden. A GIS-based analysis of UAV-derived differential Digital Elevation Models (DEM) between 2016–2023 revealed subsidence on >99 % of the palsa, active lateral erosion, and thermokarst formation. Despite near-double marginal subsidence rates, interior degradation accounted for ~95 % of the total volumetric decrease, attributed to a substantially larger interior area. The mean height, area, and volume changes for the whole palsa were -43.28±7.33 %, -6.66±0.74 %, and -47.00±7.26 %, respectively. However, the large decreases in height and volume are likely overestimations. The geomorphological analysis revealed landform element changes in ~46 % of the palsa and indicated some level of predictability in these changes. The results suggest that palsa degradation induces pronounced local landscape variation, which, in combination with fragmentation, affects the degradation rate. Furthermore, geomorphological changes provide a warning of an impending increase in CH4 emissions at Storflaket. These findings highlight the importance of high-resolution remote sensing techniques to survey palsa degradation dynamics, which is essential to enhance the understanding of these processes and, in continuation, their contribution to GHG fluxes.