Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2022-135
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-2022-135
07 Jul 2022
 | 07 Jul 2022
Status: a revised version of this preprint is currently under review for the journal TC.

Environmental spaces for palsas and peat plateaus are disappearing at a circumpolar scale

Oona Helena Könönen, Olli Karjalainen, Juha Aalto, Miska Luoto, and Jan Hjort

Abstract. The anthropogenic climate change threatens northern permafrost environments. This compromises the existence of permafrost landforms, such as palsas and peat plateaus, which have been assessed to be critically endangered habitats. In this study, for the first time we integrated geospatial datasets and statistical methods, to model the distribution of palsas and peat plateaus across the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region. The models were calibrated using data from years 1950–2000. The effects of climate change on the future distribution of palsas were assessed by using moderate and high emission scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathways; RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively) for two periods (2041–2060 and 2061–2080). Hotspots for palsas and peat plateaus occurred in Northern Europe, Western Siberia, and subarctic Canada. Climate change was predicted to cause an almost complete loss (˗98.2 %) of suitable environmental spaces under a high emissions scenario by 2061–2080, while under a moderate emissions scenario 89.3 % were predicted to disappear. The comparison with previously published thermokarst data supported our findings regarding the recent degradation of palsa and peat plateau environments. Our results fill the knowledge gaps in the distribution of the permafrost landforms in less studied areas such as Central and Eastern Siberia. In addition, the projections provide insights into the changing geoecological conditions of the circumpolar region with important implications for greenhouse gas emissions.

Oona Helena Könönen et al.

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • CC1: 'Comment on tc-2022-135 by Paul J. Morris', Paul J. Morris, 06 Oct 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on CC1', Oona Könönen, 18 Nov 2022
  • RC1: 'Comment on tc-2022-135', Claire C. Treat, 07 Oct 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Oona Könönen, 18 Nov 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on tc-2022-135', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Oct 2022
    • AC3: 'Reply on RC2', Oona Könönen, 18 Nov 2022

Oona Helena Könönen et al.

Oona Helena Könönen et al.

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Short summary
For the first time, suitable environments for palsas and peat plateaus were modelled for the whole Northern Hemisphere. The hotspots of occurrences were in Northern Europe, western Siberia, and subarctic Canada. Climate change was predicted to cause almost complete loss of the studied landforms by the late century. Our predictions filled knowledge gaps in the distribution of the landforms, and they can be utilized in estimation of the pace and impacts of the climate change over northern regions.