Collaborative Research: IRES Track 1: Transarctic Connections: Linking Alaskan Students with Finnish Arctic Scientists for Research in the Rapidly Changing Arctic

量化芬兰拉普兰湿地的碳储量以及控制这些碳储量的水文气候模式，将有助于了解北极在未来全球气候变化中的作用。这个IRES项目将与奥卢大学和帕拉斯野外研究站合作，培训美国学生使用基于实地的地球科学方法，以确定变化的气候模式如何影响极地湿地及其在碳循环中的命运。该项目将采用前沿的实地、实验室和基于建模的方法，更好地了解北部高纬度地区快速变化的环境条件，并就与北极利益攸关方特别相关的问题培训下一代科学家。每年将招募四名来自阿拉斯加的学生（包括阿拉斯加原住民和两年制大学的学生），他们将前往芬兰学习科学知识，体验阿拉斯加（美国）之外的快速变化的北极。泥炭地是积累和储存富含碳的有机物质的湿地。在气候变暖的情况下，这些碳的命运正在改变水文模式，对全球气候反馈有重要影响。高纬度的北纬泥炭地储存着大量的碳，可能相当于全球土壤碳的25%左右（600亿吨），可能是地球森林的两倍。然而，目前泥炭地碳储量的估计差异超过100% (~500-1,000GtC)，因为估计主要基于用于评估碳随时间变化的方法，而不是空间。由于地形和泥炭组成的差异，这些数据可能不能反映泥炭地的实际碳量。为了解决这一问题，我们将结合探地雷达（GPR）、沉积物岩心和基于水同位素的气候模型，研究水文气候模式，并估算各盆地的泥炭地碳储量。通过这种方法，我们将测试以下研究问题：1)帕拉斯地区泥炭地储存了多少碳？2)泥炭地各种水源对泥炭地贡献的时空变异性是什么？3)不同水停留时间对泥炭地生态水文变化的影响？4)变化的浅层水文如何影响这些系统中碳（CO2或CH4）的通量？5)水文是否控制泥炭地深度？该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Quantifying carbon stored in the wetlands of Finnish Lapland and the hydroclimate patterns that control these carbon stocks will help to understand the role of the Arctic in future global climate changes. This IRES project will partner with the University of Oulu and Pallas Field Station to train U.S. students in field-based geoscience methods to determine how shifting climate patterns influence polar wetlands and their fate in the carbon cycle. This project will use cutting edge field, laboratory, and modeling-based methods to better understand rapidly changing environmental conditions in high northern latitudes and to train the next generation of scientists on issues especially relevant to Arctic stakeholders. Four students from Alaska (including Alaska Natives and those from 2-year colleges) will be recruited each year and travel to Finland to learn about science and experience the rapidly changing Arctic beyond what is seen in Alaska (USA). Peatlands are wetlands that accumulate and store carbon-rich organic matter. The fate of this carbon under a warming climate, which is changing hydrological patterns, has important consequences for global climate feedbacks. High northern latitude peatlands store large stocks of carbon, possibly equivalent to around 25% (600 Gt) of the global soil carbon and likely twice that of Earth’s forests. However, current estimates of peatland carbon stocks vary by over 100% (~500-1,000GtC), as estimates are largely based on methods used to assess carbon changes through time, not space. These data likely do not reflect the actual volume of carbon in a peatland due to differences in topography and peat composition. To address this, we will investigate hydroclimate patterns and estimate peatland carbon stocks across basins with a combination of ground penetrating radar (GPR), sediment cores, and water isotope-based climate models. Through this approach, we will test the following research questions: 1) How much carbon is stored in the Pallas area peatlands? 2) What is the spatial and temporal variability of various source water contributions to peatlands? 3) How do different water residence times impact changes in peatland ecohydrology? 4) How does variable shallow-surface hydrology impact the flux of carbon (CO2 or CH4) from these systems? and 5) Does hydrology control peatland depth?This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.