Small thermokarst lakes, significant sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs)

A study conducted by Amélie Pouliot during her master's degree, supervised by Isabelle Laurion and Daniel Nadeau, aimed to quantify greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from two thermokarst lakes, formed by the thawing of permafrost, in Nunavik.

Amélie and her colleagues conducted two sampling campaigns in 2022 and 2023, one during a colder period and the other during a warmer one. They continuously monitored water column conditions for two years, along with meteorological data, which allowed them to extrapolate beyond the observation period.

Their finding: Thermokarst lakes release a lot of greenhouse gases, potentially more in the spring and fall. To accurately measure these emissions, lakes must be observed day and night, taking into account the gases that accumulate at the bottom of the lake and are released when the seasons change.

Check out Amélie's scientific publication. She has now completed her master's degree and is pursuing her research career at the Maurice Lamontagne Institute!

Reference: Pouliot, A., Laurion, I., Thiboult, A., and Nadeau, D. F.: Temporal patterns of greenhouse gas emissions from two small thermokarst lakes in Nunavik, Canada, Biogeosciences, 22, 5413–5433, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-5413-2025, 2025.