A new study sheds light on a promising solution to combat climate change: glacial rivers and lakes may significantly mitigate the impact of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that becomes increasingly prevalent as glaciers melt due to rising global temperatures.
Led by Kristin Strock, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Dickinson College and a 2019 National Geographic Explorer, this research highlights the critical processes occurring when glaciers release trapped methane.
Strock spearheaded an all-female research team comprising Dickinson students and experts from the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the U.S. Geological Survey, who ventured to four locations across three distinct Icelandic glaciers to conduct their sampling.
The researchers discovered that when water from melting glaciers flows into lakes and streams, the microorganisms inhabiting those aquatic environments can significantly reduce the amounts of methane being released from beneath the melting glaciers. The findings of the study suggest that this natural phenomenon, known as oxidation, could potentially decrease atmospheric methane emissions by as much as 53 percent.
According to Strock, this study is among the few of its kind, underscoring the significant role these microbial processes might play in our fight against climate change.
“Studies that span the land, ice, water and air are rare, because it requires an interdisciplinary and full ecosystem kind of perspective,” Strock said. “My co-researcher and former student, Rachel Krewson, proposed this study as part of her senior research thesis in environmental science. I’m immensely proud of Rachel and our entire team of women researchers for doing this critical work in a field that’s still male-dominated.”
The team’s findings hold great significance as they offer fresh perspectives on the intricate interactions between climate change, glacial systems, and methane emissions. By incorporating methane oxidation into estimates of glacial methane emissions, scientists may be able to assess the impact of melting glaciers on the global climate more accurately.
This study was funded by a grant from the National Geographic Society and in-kind support from the U.S. Geological Survey, alongside contributions from The Churchill Exploration Fund and the Dickinson College Research and Development Fund.
Journal reference:
- Kristin E. Strock, Rachel B. Krewson, Nicole M. Hayes & Bridget R. Deemer. Oxidation is a potentially significant methane sink in land-terminating glacial runoff. Scientific Reports, 2024; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-73041-3