Sources and sinks of methane in sea ice: Insights from stable isotopes

We report on methane (CH4) stable isotope (d13C and d2 H) measurements from landfast sea ice collected near Barrow (Utqiagvik, Alaska) and Cape Evans (Antarctica) over the winter-to-spring transition. These measurements provide novel insights into pathways of CH4 production and consumption in sea ice. We found substantial differences between the two sites. Sea ice overlying the shallow shelf of Barrow was supersaturated in CH4 with a clear microbial origin, most likely from methanogenesis in the sediments. We estimated that in situ CH4 oxidation consumed a substantial fraction of the CH4 being supplied to the sea ice, partly explaining the large range of isotopic values observed (d13C between –68.5 and –48.5 ‰ and d2 H between –246 and –104 ‰). Sea ice at Cape Evans was also supersaturated in CH4 but with surprisingly high d13C values (between –46.9 and –13.0 ‰), whereas d2 H values (between –313 and –113 ‰) were in the range of those observed at Barrow.These are the first measurements of CH4 isotopic composition in Antarctic sea ice. Our data set suggests a potential combination of a hydrothermal source, in the vicinity of the Mount Erebus, with aerobic CH4 formation in sea ice, although the metabolic pathway for the latter still needs to be elucidated. Our observations show that sea ice needs to be considered as an active biogeochemical interface, contributing to CH4 production and consumption, which disputes the standing paradigm that sea ice is an inert barrier passively accumulating CH4 at the ocean-atmosphere boundary

Early springtime dynamics of Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) within east Antarctic Sea Ice

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Physical controls on the storage of methane in landfast sea ice

We report on methane (CH4) dynamics in landfast sea ice, brine and under-ice seawater at Barrow in 2009. The CH4 concentrations in under-ice water ranged between 25.9 and 116.4 nmol L-1sw, indicating a supersaturation of 700 to 3100 % relative to the atmosphere. In comparison, the CH4 concentrations in sea ice, ranged between 3.4 and 17.2 nmol L-1ice, and the deduced CH4 concentrations in brine, between 13.2 and 677.7 nmol L-1brine. We investigated on the processes explaining the difference in CH4 concentrations between sea ice, brine and the under-ice water, and suggest that biological controls on the storage of CH4 in ice was minor in comparison to the physical controls. Two physical processes regulated the storage of CH4 in our landfast ice samples: bubble formation within the ice and sea ice permeability. Gas bubble formation from solubility changes had favoured the accumulation of CH4 in the ice at the beginning of ice growth. CH4 retention in sea ice was then twice as efficient as that of salt; this also explains the overall higher CH4 concentrations in brine than in the under-ice water. As sea ice thickened, gas bubble formation became less efficient, CH4 was then mainly trapped in the dissolved state. The increase of sea ice permeability during ice melt marked the end of CH4 storage

Acides gras et insaponifiables d’extraits obtenus à partir des sommités fleuries et des rhizomes de Vetiveria nigritana (Benth.) Stapf, Poaceae

Extracts of Vetiveria nigritana flowering tops and rhizomes were analyzed by mean of GC/MS for their fatty acids and unsaponifiable components. In flowering tops extract, the acid fraction is characterized by the presence of palmitic acid and other long chain fatty acids (until C34). Unsaponifiable contains a high percentage of sterols (43.89%, mainly b-sitosterol). In rhizomes extract, acid fraction is composed by a high amount of typical organic acids of the genus Vetiveria and by a low quantity of fatty acids. Unsaponifiable fraction is characterized by the presence of a great percentage of sesquiterpenic derivatives (54.8%), and of sterols in low amount (13.7%)

What is the impact of environmental stress in sea ice brine on DMS production?

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First estimates of the contribution of CaCO3 precipitation to the release of CO2 to the atmosphere during young sea ice growth

[1] We report measurements of pH, total alkalinity, air-ice CO2 fluxes (chamber method), and CaCO3 content of frost flowers (FF) and thin landfast sea ice. As the temperature decreases, concentration of solutes in the brine skim increases. Along this gradual concentration process, some salts reach their solubility threshold and start precipitating. The precipitation of ikaite (CaCO3.6H2O) was confirmed in the FF and throughout the ice by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray analysis. The amount of ikaite precipitated was estimated to be 25 µmol kg−1 melted FF, in the FF and is shown to decrease from 19 to 15 µmol kg−1 melted ice in the upper part and at the bottom of the ice, respectively. CO2 release due to precipitation of CaCO3 is estimated to be 50 µmol kg−1 melted samples. The dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) normalized to a salinity of 10 exhibits significant depletion in the upper layer of the ice and in the FF. This DIC loss is estimated to be 2069 µmol kg−1 melted sample and corresponds to a CO2 release from the ice to the atmosphere ranging from 20 to 40 mmol m−2 d−1. This estimate is consistent with flux measurements of air-ice CO2 exchange. Our measurements confirm previous laboratory findings that growing young sea ice acts as a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. CaCO3 precipitation during early ice growth appears to promote the release of CO2 to the atmosphere; however, its contribution to the overall release by newly formed ice is most likely minor