Refine
Has Fulltext
- yes (324) (remove)
Year of publication
Document Type
- Doctoral Thesis (324) (remove)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (324) (remove)
Keywords
- Fernerkundung (15)
- remote sensing (13)
- Anden (12)
- Andes (12)
- Erdbeben (12)
- climate change (12)
- Klimawandel (11)
- Seismologie (10)
- Tektonik (10)
- Geomorphologie (9)
Institute
- Institut für Geowissenschaften (324) (remove)
Plate tectonic boundaries constitute the suture zones between tectonic plates. They are shaped by a variety of distinct and interrelated processes and play a key role in geohazards and georesource formation. Many of these processes have been previously studied, while many others remain unaddressed or undiscovered. In this work, the geodynamic numerical modeling software ASPECT is applied to shed light on further process interactions at continental plate boundaries. In contrast to natural data, geodynamic modeling has the advantage that processes can be directly quantified and that all parameters can be analyzed over the entire evolution of a structure. Furthermore, processes and interactions can be singled out from complex settings because the modeler has full control over all of the parameters involved. To account for the simplifying character of models in general, I have chosen to study generic geological settings with a focus on the processes and interactions rather than precisely reconstructing a specific region of the Earth.
In Chapter 2, 2D models of continental rifts with different crustal thicknesses between 20 and 50 km and extension velocities in the range of 0.5-10 mm/yr are used to obtain a speed limit for the thermal steady-state assumption, commonly employed to address the temperature fields of continental rifts worldwide. Because the tectonic deformation from ongoing rifting outpaces heat conduction, the temperature field is not in equilibrium, but is characterized by a transient, tectonically-induced heat flow signal. As a result, I find that isotherm depths of the geodynamic evolution models are shallower than a temperature distribution in equilibrium would suggest. This is particularly important for deep isotherms and narrow rifts. In narrow rifts, the magnitude of the transient temperature signal limits a well-founded applicability of the thermal steady-state assumption to extension velocities of 0.5-2 mm/yr. Estimation of the crustal temperature field affects conclusions on all temperature-dependent processes ranging from mineral assemblages to the feasible exploitation of a geothermal reservoir.
In Chapter 3, I model the interactions of different rheologies with the kinematics of folding and faulting using the example of fault-propagation folds in the Andean fold-and-thrust belt. The evolution of the velocity fields from geodynamic models are compared with those from trishear models of the same structure. While the latter use only geometric and kinematic constraints of the main fault, the geodynamic models capture viscous, plastic, and elastic deformation in the entire model domain. I find that both models work equally well for early, and thus relatively simple stages of folding and faulting, while results differ for more complex situations where off-fault deformation and secondary faulting are present. As fault-propagation folds can play an important role in the formation of reservoirs, knowledge of fluid pathways, for example via fractures and faults, is crucial for their characterization.
Chapter 4 deals with a bending transform fault and the interconnections between tectonics and surface processes. In particular, the tectonic evolution of the Dead Sea Fault is addressed where a releasing bend forms the Dead Sea pull-apart basin, while a restraining bend further to the North resulted in the formation of the Lebanese mountains. I ran 3D coupled geodynamic and surface evolution models that included both types of bends in a single setup. I tested various randomized initial strain distributions, showing that basin asymmetry is a consequence of strain localization. Furthermore, by varying the surface process efficiency, I find that the deposition of sediment in the pull-apart basin not only controls basin depth, but also results in a crustal flow component that increases uplift at the restraining bend.
Finally, in Chapter 5, I present the computational basis for adding further complexity to plate boundary models in ASPECT with the implementation of earthquake-like behavior using the rate-and-state friction framework. Despite earthquakes happening on a relatively small time scale, there are many interactions between the seismic cycle and the long time spans of other geodynamic processes. Amongst others, the crustal state of stress as well as the presence of fluids or changes in temperature may alter the frictional behavior of a fault segment. My work provides the basis for a realistic setup of involved structures and processes, which is therefore important to obtain a meaningful estimate for earthquake hazards.
While these findings improve our understanding of continental plate boundaries, further development of geodynamic software may help to reveal even more processes and interactions in the future.
Ecosystems play a pivotal role in addressing climate change but are also highly susceptible to drastic environmental changes. Investigating their historical dynamics can enhance our understanding of how they might respond to unprecedented future environmental shifts. With Arctic lakes currently under substantial pressure from climate change, lessons from the past can guide our understanding of potential disruptions to these lakes. However, individual lake systems are multifaceted and complex. Traditional isolated lake studies often fail to provide a global perspective because localized nuances—like individual lake parameters, catchment areas, and lake histories—can overshadow broader conclusions. In light of these complexities, a more nuanced approach is essential to analyze lake systems in a global context.
A key to addressing this challenge lies in the data-driven analysis of sedimentological records from various northern lake systems. This dissertation emphasizes lake systems in the northern Eurasian region, particularly in Russia (n=59). For this doctoral thesis, we collected sedimentological data from various sources, which required a standardized framework for further analysis. Therefore, we designed a conceptual model for integrating and standardizing heterogeneous multi-proxy data into a relational database management system (PostgreSQL). Creating a database from the collected data enabled comparative numerical analyses between spatially separated lakes as well as between different proxies.
When analyzing numerous lakes, establishing a common frame of reference was crucial. We achieved this by converting proxy values from depth dependency to age dependency. This required consistent age calculations across all lakes and proxies using one age-depth modeling software. Recognizing the broader implications and potential pitfalls of this, we developed the LANDO approach ("Linked Age and Depth Modelling"). LANDO is an innovative integration of multiple age-depth modeling software into a singular, cohesive platform (Jupyter Notebook). Beyond its ability to aggregate data from five renowned age-depth modeling software, LANDO uniquely empowers users to filter out implausible model outcomes using robust geoscientific data. Our method is not only novel but also significantly enhances the accuracy and reliability of lake analyses.
Considering the preceding steps, this doctoral thesis further examines the relationship between carbon in sediments and temperature over the last 21,000 years. Initially, we hypothesized a positive correlation between carbon accumulation in lakes and modelled paleotemperature. Our homogenized dataset from heterogeneous lakes confirmed this association, even if the highest temperatures throughout our observation period do not correlate with the highest carbon values. We assume that rapid warming events contribute more to high accumulation, while sustained warming leads to carbon outgassing. Considering the current high concentration of carbon in the atmosphere and rising temperatures, ongoing climate change could cause northern lake systems to contribute to a further increase in atmospheric carbon (positive feedback loop). While our findings underscore the reliability of both our standardized data and the LANDO method, expanding our dataset might offer even greater assurance in our conclusions.
Today, near-surface investigations are frequently conducted using non-destructive or minimally invasive methods of applied geophysics, particularly in the fields of civil engineering, archaeology, geology, and hydrology. One field that plays an increasingly central role in research and engineering is the examination of sedimentary environments, for example, for characterizing near-surface groundwater systems. A commonly employed method in this context is ground-penetrating radar (GPR). In this technique, short electromagnetic pulses are emitted into the subsurface by an antenna, which are then reflected, refracted, or scattered at contrasts in electromagnetic properties (such as the water table). A receiving antenna records these signals in terms of their amplitudes and travel times. Analysis of the recorded signals allows for inferences about the subsurface, such as the depth of the groundwater table or the composition and characteristics of near-surface sediment layers. Due to the high resolution of the GPR method and continuous technological advancements, GPR data acquisition is increasingly performed in three-dimensional (3D) fashion today.
Despite the considerable temporal and technical efforts involved in data acquisition and processing, the resulting 3D data sets (providing high-resolution images of the subsurface) are typically interpreted manually. This is generally an extremely time-consuming analysis step. Therefore, representative 2D sections highlighting distinctive reflection structures are often selected from the 3D data set. Regions showing similar structures are then grouped into so-called radar facies. The results obtained from 2D sections are considered representative of the entire investigated area. Interpretations conducted in this manner are often incomplete and highly dependent on the expertise of the interpreters, making them generally non-reproducible.
A promising alternative or complement to manual interpretation is the use of GPR attributes. Instead of using the recorded data directly, derived quantities characterizing distinctive reflection structures in 3D are applied for interpretation. Using various field and synthetic data sets, this thesis investigates which attributes are particularly suitable for this purpose. Additionally, the study demonstrates how selected attributes can be utilized through specific processing and classification methods to create 3D facies models. The ability to generate attribute-based 3D GPR facies models allows for partially automated and more efficient interpretations in the future. Furthermore, the results obtained in this manner describe the subsurface in a reproducible and more comprehensive manner than what has typically been achievable through manual interpretation methods.
A comprehensive study on seismic hazard and earthquake triggering is crucial for effective mitigation of earthquake risks. The destructive nature of earthquakes motivates researchers to work on forecasting despite the apparent randomness of the earthquake occurrences. Understanding their underlying mechanisms and patterns is vital, given their potential for widespread devastation and loss of life. This thesis combines methodologies, including Coulomb stress calculations and aftershock analysis, to shed light on earthquake complexities, ultimately enhancing seismic hazard assessment.
The Coulomb failure stress (CFS) criterion is widely used to predict the spatial distributions of aftershocks following large earthquakes. However, uncertainties associated with CFS calculations arise from non-unique slip inversions and unknown fault networks, particularly due to the choice of the assumed aftershocks (receiver) mechanisms. Recent studies have proposed alternative stress quantities and deep neural network approaches as superior to CFS with predefined receiver mechanisms. To challenge these propositions, I utilized 289 slip inversions from the SRCMOD database to calculate more realistic CFS values for a layered-half space and variable receiver mechanisms. The analysis also investigates the impact of magnitude cutoff, grid size variation, and aftershock duration on the ranking of stress metrics using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results reveal the performance of stress metrics significantly improves after accounting for receiver variability and for larger aftershocks and shorter time periods, without altering the relative ranking of the different stress metrics.
To corroborate Coulomb stress calculations with the findings of earthquake source studies in more detail, I studied the source properties of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and its aftershocks, aiming to unravel the seismotectonics of the NW Himalayan syntaxis. I simultaneously relocated the mainshock and its largest aftershocks using phase data, followed by a comprehensive analysis of Coulomb stress changes on the aftershock planes. By computing the Coulomb failure stress changes on the aftershock faults, I found that all large aftershocks lie in regions of positive stress change, indicating triggering by either co-seismic or post-seismic slip on the mainshock fault.
Finally, I investigated the relationship between mainshock-induced stress changes and associated seismicity parameters, in particular those of the frequency-magnitude (Gutenberg-Richter) distribution and the temporal aftershock decay (Omori-Utsu law). For that purpose, I used my global data set of 127 mainshock-aftershock sequences with the calculated Coulomb Stress (ΔCFS) and the alternative receiver-independent stress metrics in the vicinity of the mainshocks and analyzed the aftershocks properties depend on the stress values. Surprisingly, the results show a clear positive correlation between the Gutenberg-Richter b-value and induced stress, contrary to expectations from laboratory experiments. This observation highlights the significance of structural heterogeneity and strength variations in seismicity patterns. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that aftershock productivity increases nonlinearly with stress, while the Omori-Utsu parameters c and p systematically decrease with increasing stress changes. These partly unexpected findings have significant implications for future estimations of aftershock hazard.
The findings in this thesis provides valuable insights into earthquake triggering mechanisms by examining the relationship between stress changes and aftershock occurrence. The results contribute to improved understanding of earthquake behavior and can aid in the development of more accurate probabilistic-seismic hazard forecasts and risk reduction strategies.
Rapidly growing seismic and macroseismic databases and simplified access to advanced machine learning methods have in recent years opened up vast opportunities to address challenges in engineering and strong motion seismology from novel, datacentric perspectives. In this thesis, I explore the opportunities of such perspectives for the tasks of ground motion modeling and rapid earthquake impact assessment, tasks with major implications for long-term earthquake disaster mitigation.
In my first study, I utilize the rich strong motion database from the Kanto basin, Japan, and apply the U-Net artificial neural network architecture to develop a deep learning based ground motion model. The operational prototype provides statistical estimates of expected ground shaking, given descriptions of a specific earthquake source, wave propagation paths, and geophysical site conditions. The U-Net interprets ground motion data in its spatial context, potentially taking into account, for example, the geological properties in the vicinity of observation sites. Predictions of ground motion intensity are thereby calibrated to individual observation sites and earthquake locations.
The second study addresses the explicit incorporation of rupture forward directivity into ground motion modeling. Incorporation of this phenomenon, causing strong, pulse like ground shaking in the vicinity of earthquake sources, is usually associated with an intolerable increase in computational demand during probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) calculations. I suggest an approach in which I utilize an artificial neural network to efficiently approximate the average, directivity-related adjustment to ground motion predictions for earthquake ruptures from the 2022 New Zealand National Seismic Hazard Model. The practical implementation in an actual PSHA calculation demonstrates the efficiency and operational readiness of my model. In a follow-up study, I present a proof of concept for an alternative strategy in which I target the generalizing applicability to ruptures other than those from the New Zealand National Seismic Hazard Model.
In the third study, I address the usability of pseudo-intensity reports obtained from macroseismic observations by non-expert citizens for rapid impact assessment. I demonstrate that the statistical properties of pseudo-intensity collections describing the intensity of shaking are correlated with the societal impact of earthquakes. In a second step, I develop a probabilistic model that, within minutes of an event, quantifies the probability of an earthquake to cause considerable societal impact. Under certain conditions, such a quick and preliminary method might be useful to support decision makers in their efforts to organize auxiliary measures for earthquake disaster response while results from more elaborate impact assessment frameworks are not yet available.
The application of machine learning methods to datasets that only partially reveal characteristics of Big Data, qualify the majority of results obtained in this thesis as explorative insights rather than ready-to-use solutions to real world problems. The practical usefulness of this work will be better assessed in the future by applying the approaches developed to growing and increasingly complex data sets.
Dentro de la cuenca intermontana de Quito-Guay llabamba de Ecuador, se han identificado y analizado en este estudio, cinco depósitos coluviales inusualmente grandes de antiguos deslizamientos. El gran deslizamiento rotacional MM-5 Guayllabamba es el más extenso, con un volumen de 1183 millones de m3. Las mega avalanchas de escombros MM-1 Conocoto, MM-3 Oyacoto, y MM-4 San Francisco fueron desencadenadas originalmente por una ruptura inicial que estuvo asociada a un deslizamiento rotacional, los depósitos correspondientes tienen volúmenes entre 399 a 317 millones de m3. Finalmente, el depósito de menor volumen, el deslizamiento rotacional y caída de detritos MM-2 Batán, tiene un volumen de 8,7 millones de m3. En esta tesis, se realizó un estudio detallado de estos grandes movimientos en masa utilizando métodos neotectónicos y lito-tefrostratigráficos para comprender las condiciones geológicas y geomorfológicas de contorno que podrían ser relevantes para desencadenar estos movimientos en masa. La parte neotectónica del estudio se basó en el análisis geomorfológico cualitativo y cuantitativo de estos grandes depósitos de movimientos en masa, a través de la caracterización estructural de anticlinales ubicados al este de la subcuenca de Quito y sus flancos colapsados que constituyen las áreas de ruptura. Esta parte del análisis fue además apoyada por la aplicación de diferentes índices morfométricos para revelar procesos de evolución del paisaje forzados tectónicamente que pueden haber contribuido a la generación de movimientos en masa. La parte lito-tefrostratigráfica del estudio se basó en el análisis de las características petrográficas, geoquímicas y geocronológicas de los horizontes del suelo y de las cenizas volcánicas intercaladas, con el objetivo de restringir la cronología de los eventos individuales de movimientos en masa y su posible de correlación. Los resultados se integraron en esquemas cronoestratigráficos utilizando superficies de ruptura, relaciones transversales y de superposición de depósitos de deslizamiento y estratos posteriores para comprender los movimientos en masa en el contexto tectónico y temporal del entorno de la cuenca intermontana, así como para identificar los mecanismos desencadenantes de cada evento. El movimiento en masa MM-5 Guayllabamba es el resultado del colapso de la ladera suroeste del volcán Mojanda y fue desencadenado por la interacción de condiciones geológicas y morfológicas hace aproximadamente 0,81 Ma. El primer episodio de avalancha de escombros de los movimientos en masa MM-3 Oyacoto y MM-4 San Francisco podría estar relacionado con condiciones tanto geológicas como morfológicas, dadas las rocas altamente fracturadas y el levantamiento del anticlinal Bellavista-Catequilla que posteriormente fue inciso al pie de la ladera por la erosión fluvial. Este primer episodio de colapso probablemente ocurrió alrededor de los 0,8 Ma. El movimiento en masa MM-2 Batán posiblemente también fue desencadenado por una combinación de condiciones geológicas y morfológicas, asociadas a una reducción de los esfuerzos litostáticos que afectaron a las formaciones Chiche y Machángara y a un aumento de los esfuerzos de cizalla durante procesos de socavación fluvial lateral en los flancos de las áreas de origen. Esto apunta a un proceso vinculado entre la erosión fluvial y los procesos de levantamiento asociados a la evolución del anticlinal El Batán-La Bota que podría haber ocurrido entre 0,5 y 0,25 Ma. La voluminosa avalancha de escombros MM-1 Conocoto, así como el segundo episodio de avalancha de escombros que generó los movimientos en masa MM-3 Oyacoto y MM-4 San Francisco, fueron provocados por el colapso gravitacional de las formaciones Mojanda y Cangahua que se caracterizan por la intercalación de cenizas volcánicas. La falla del flanco oriental de los anticlinales probablemente estuvo asociada al incremento de la humedad disponible relacionada con las variaciones climáticas regionales del Holoceno. Los resultados de la cronología de los paleosuelos combinados con los datos cronoestratigráficos y paleoclimáticos regionales sugieren que estas avalanchas de escombros se desencadenaron entre 5 y 4 ka.
La tectónica activa ha modelado los rasgos morfológicos de la cuenca intermontana Quito-Guayllabamba. El desencadenamiento de movimientos en masa en este ambiente está asociado a rupturas en litologías del Pleistoceno (sedimentos lacustres, depósitos aluviales y volcánicos) sometidas a procesos de deformación, actividad sísmica y episodios superpuestos de variabilidad climática. El Distrito Metropolitano de Quito es parte integral de este complejo entorno y de las condiciones geológicas, climáticas y topográficas que continúan influyendo en el espacio geográfico urbano dentro de esta cuenca intermontana. La ciudad de Quito comprende el área de mayor consolidación urbana incluyendo las subcuencas de Quito y San Antonio, con una población de 2,872 millones de habitantes, lo que refleja la importancia del estudio de las amenazas geológicas y climáticas inherentes a esta región.
The Central Andean region is characterized by diverse climate zones with sharp transitions between them. In this work, the area of interest is the South-Central Andes in northwestern Argentina that borders with Bolivia and Chile. The focus is the observation of soil moisture and water vapour with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) remote-sensing methodologies. Because of the rapid temporal and spatial variations of water vapour and moisture circulations, monitoring this part of the hydrological cycle is crucial for understanding the mechanisms that control the local climate. Moreover, GNSS-based techniques have previously shown high potential and are appropriate for further investigation. This study includes both logistic-organization effort and data analysis. As for the prior, three GNSS ground stations were installed in remote locations in northwestern Argentina to acquire observations, where there was no availability of third-party data.
The methodological development for the observation of the climate variables of soil moisture and water vapour is independent and relies on different approaches. The soil-moisture estimation with GNSS reflectometry is an approximation that has demonstrated promising results, but it has yet to be operationally employed. Thus, a more advanced algorithm that exploits more observations from multiple satellite constellations was developed using data from two pilot stations in Germany. Additionally, this algorithm was slightly modified and used in a sea-level measurement campaign. Although the objective of this application is not related to monitoring hydrological parameters, its methodology is based on the same principles and helps to evaluate the core algorithm. On the other hand, water-vapour monitoring with GNSS observations is a well-established technique that is utilized operationally. Hence, the scope of this study is conducting a meteorological analysis by examining the along-the-zenith air-moisture levels and introducing indices related to the azimuthal gradient.
The results of the experiments indicate higher-quality soil moisture observations with the new algorithm. Furthermore, the analysis using the stations in northwestern Argentina illustrates the limits of this technology because of varying soil conditions and shows future research directions. The water-vapour analysis points out the strong influence of the topography on atmospheric moisture circulation and rainfall generation. Moreover, the GNSS time series allows for the identification of seasonal signatures, and the azimuthal-gradient indices permit the detection of main circulation pathways.
Watershed management requires an understanding of key hydrochemical processes. The Pra Basin is one of the five major river basins in Ghana with a population of over 4.2 million people. Currently, water resources management faces challenges due to surface water pollution caused by the unregulated release of untreated household and industrial waste into aquatic ecosystems and illegal mining activities. This has increased the need for groundwater as the most reliable water supply. Our understanding of groundwater recharge mechanisms and chemical evolution in the basin has been inadequate, making effective management difficult. Therefore, the main objective of this work is to gain insight into the processes that determine the hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater quality in the Pra Basin. The combined use of stable isotope, hydrochemistry, and water level data provides the basis for conceptualizing the chemical evolution of groundwater in the Pra Basin. For this purpose, the origin and evaporation rates of water infiltrating into the unsaturated zone were evaluated. In addition, Chloride Mass Balance (CMB) and Water Table Fluctuations (WTF) were considered to quantify groundwater recharge for the basin. Indices such as water quality index (WQI), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Wilcox diagram, and salinity (USSL) were used in this study to determine the quality of the resource for use as drinking water and for irrigation purposes. Due to the heterogeneity of the hydrochemical data, the statistical techniques of hierarchical cluster and factor analysis were applied to subdivide the data according to their spatial correlation. A conceptual hydrogeochemical model was developed and subsequently validated by applying combinatorial inverse and reaction pathway-based geochemical models to determine plausible mineral assemblages that control the chemical composition of the groundwater. The interactions between water and rock determine the groundwater quality in the Pra Basin. The results underline that the groundwater is of good quality and can be used for drinking water and irrigation purposes. It was demonstrated that there is a large groundwater potential to meet the entire Pra Basin’s current and future water demands. The main recharge area was identified as the northern zone, while the southern zone is the discharge area. The predominant influence of weathering of silicate minerals plays a key role in the chemical evolution of the groundwater. The work presented here provides fundamental insights into the hydrochemistry of the Pra Basin and provides data important to water managers for informed decision-making in planning and allocating water resources for various purposes. A novel inverse modelling approach was used in this study to identify different mineral compositions that determine the chemical evolution of groundwater in the Pra Basin. This modelling technique has the potential to simulate the composition of groundwater at the basin scale with large hydrochemical heterogeneity, using average water composition to represent established spatial groupings of water chemistry.
Volcanic hydrothermal systems are an integral part of most volcanoes and typically involve a heat source, adequate fluid supply, and fracture or pore systems through which the fluids can circulate within the volcanic edifice. Associated with this are subtle but powerful processes that can significantly influence the evolution of volcanic activity or the stability of the near-surface volcanic system through mechanical weakening, permeability reduction, and sealing of the affected volcanic rock. These processes are well constrained for rock samples by laboratory analyses but are still difficult to extrapolate and evaluate at the scale of an entire volcano. Advances in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), sensor technology, and photogrammetric processing routines now allow us to image volcanic surfaces at the centimeter scale and thus study volcanic hydrothermal systems in great detail. This thesis aims to explore the potential of UAS approaches for studying the structures, processes, and dynamics of volcanic hydrothermal systems but also to develop methodological approaches to uncover secondary information hidden in the data, capable of indicating spatiotemporal dynamics or potentially critical developments associated with hydrothermal alteration. To accomplish this, the thesis describes the investigation of two near-surface volcanic hydrothermal systems, the El Tatio geyser field in Chile and the fumarole field of La Fossa di Vulcano (Italy), both of which are among the best-studied sites of their kind. Through image analysis, statistical, and spatial analyses we have been able to provide the most detailed structural images of both study sites to date, with new insights into the driving forces of such systems but also revealing new potential controls, which are summarized in conceptual site-specific models. Furthermore, the thesis explores methodological remote sensing approaches to detect, classify and constrain hydrothermal alteration and surface degassing from UAS-derived data, evaluated them by mineralogical and chemical ground-truthing, and compares the alteration pattern with the present-day degassing activity. A significant contribution of the often neglected diffuse degassing activity to the total amount of degassing is revealed and constrains secondary processes and dynamics associated with hydrothermal alteration that lead to potentially critical developments like surface sealing. The results and methods used provide new approaches for alteration research, for the monitoring of degassing and alteration effects, and for thermal monitoring of fumarole fields, with the potential to be incorporated into volcano monitoring routines.
With Arctic ground as a huge and temperature-sensitive carbon reservoir, maintaining low ground temperatures and frozen conditions to prevent further carbon emissions that contrib-ute to global climate warming is a key element in humankind’s fight to maintain habitable con-ditions on earth. Former studies showed that during the late Pleistocene, Arctic ground condi-tions were generally colder and more stable as the result of an ecosystem dominated by large herbivorous mammals and vast extents of graminoid vegetation – the mammoth steppe. Characterised by high plant productivity (grassland) and low ground insulation due to animal-caused compression and removal of snow, this ecosystem enabled deep permafrost aggrad-ation. Now, with tundra and shrub vegetation common in the terrestrial Arctic, these effects are not in place anymore. However, it appears to be possible to recreate this ecosystem local-ly by artificially increasing animal numbers, and hence keep Arctic ground cold to reduce or-ganic matter decomposition and carbon release into the atmosphere.
By measuring thaw depth, total organic carbon and total nitrogen content, stable carbon iso-tope ratio, radiocarbon age, n-alkane and alcohol characteristics and assessing dominant vegetation types along grazing intensity transects in two contrasting Arctic areas, it was found that recreating conditions locally, similar to the mammoth steppe, seems to be possible. For permafrost-affected soil, it was shown that intensive grazing in direct comparison to non-grazed areas reduces active layer depth and leads to higher TOC contents in the active layer soil. For soil only frozen on top in winter, an increase of TOC with grazing intensity could not be found, most likely because of confounding factors such as vertical water and carbon movement, which is not possible with an impermeable layer in permafrost. In both areas, high animal activity led to a vegetation transformation towards species-poor graminoid-dominated landscapes with less shrubs. Lipid biomarker analysis revealed that, even though the available organic material is different between the study areas, in both permafrost-affected and sea-sonally frozen soils the organic material in sites affected by high animal activity was less de-composed than under less intensive grazing pressure. In conclusion, high animal activity af-fects decomposition processes in Arctic soils and the ground thermal regime, visible from reduced active layer depth in permafrost areas. Therefore, grazing management might be utilised to locally stabilise permafrost and reduce Arctic carbon emissions in the future, but is likely not scalable to the entire permafrost region.