Innovative Utrecht contribution to methane cycle research in Arctic lakes

What influence do microbes have on the release of methane in the Arctic regions? And how will climate change affect these microorganisms? The research project Climate feedbacks and methane cycling in Arctic lakes: enzymes to atmosphere (CLIMET) should provide the answer to these questions. Funding comes from the NWO Open Competition ENW-XL programme, which focuses on groundbreaking fundamental research. "The methane cycle in Arctic regions has never been studied in such a way before."

The research is led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), while a significant contribution to the research comes from Utrecht scientists. In addition to being head of the Aquatic Ecology research group at NIOO, coordinator Suzanne McGowan is also endowed professor of Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics at the Utrecht faculties of Science and Geosciences. The Utrecht contribution will also be provided by Friederike Wagner-Cremer and Wim Hoek (Department of Physical Geography), Paul Mason and Charlie Beard (Department of Earth Sciences).

A specific group of metals called lanthanides appears to influence the methane cycle

A lake in the Arctic. © iStock/JMP Traveler
© iStock/JMP Traveler

Sediment

Prof. Friederike Wagner-Cremer, like Prof. Suzanne McGowan, specialises in researching the climate in the past. "To do this, we are looking, for example, at indications of climate change that can be found in sediment," says Wagner-Cremer. Physical geographer Dr Wim Hoek has extensive experience in researching the consequences of climate change in past times on the landscape and vegetation. Together with Friederike Wagner-Cremer, he will study the sediment cores that are drilled from the bottoms of the Arctic lakes.

Petrology

The research involves not only taking measurements but also growing bacteria (in the NIOO laboratories). "But the innovation of this partnership goes even further. Not so long ago, it was discovered that a specific group of metals called lanthanides influence the methane cycle." These metals are released by the weathering of underlying rocks from the Precambrian period, a period in Earth's earliest history. That is why the help of petrologist Prof. Paul Mason, a specialist in this field, has also been called in. "This combination of expertise has never been seen before in this type of research."

Other partners

CLIMET also involves Radboud University (the Netherlands), the British universities Heriot Watt and Northumbria, the University of Maine (USA) and the University of Umeå (Sweden).