Ocean-land interactions and the Arctic carbon cycle

This chapter focuses on the Arctic since ocean-land interactions are more important for the Arctic than the Antarctic carbon cycle. It explores the complexity of connections between the ocean and land of the North Pole region, and possible impacts on greenhouse gas exchange and lateral carbon flows thereof. Ocean-land interactions in the Arctic integrate the terrestrial and marine environments. The Arctic is a source of methane and higher temperatures stimulate methane-producing microbes in the ground. Higher temperatures affect the terrestrial carbon cycle through altered plant productivity, increased respiration, and higher methane emissions. The impact of sea ice decline on the carbon cycle would be very dissimilar between the two regions due to diametric differences. While Antarctica is a frozen continent with little vegetation surrounded by ocean, the Arctic Ocean is a dynamic environment surrounded by land with vast expanses of vegetation, and an enormous amount of carbon locked away in the permafrost.