Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate warming. Permafrost thaw beneath lakes leads to large emissions of methane gas to the atmosphere. In turn, methane contributes to global climate warming, which leads to more permafrost thaw in a positive feedback cycle. This talk will uncover natural sources of methane in Arctic lakes, which come from both the organic matter decay activity of microoganisms in lake bottoms and from geologic sources deeper within the Earth.
