The SEAL project, by Filip Hrbáček from the Department of Geography of our faculty, which received support from the European Research Council (ERC-CZ) and is funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, will bring new insights into how soil moisture affects the stability of permafrost and ecosystems in the rapidly changing climate of the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Warming of the Antarctic Peninsula and its impacts
The Antarctic Peninsula has experienced a temperature increase of up to 3.5 degrees Celsius since the mid-20th century, which significantly affects soils, permafrost, and associated ecosystems. "Our goal is to understand the basic spatial distribution of soil moisture, its future development, and its influence on the thermal regime and stability of permafrost at our sites," explains Filip Hrbáček, the grant holder and assistant professor from the Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University. The project is part of the Czech Antarctic Research Program.
Initial results from James Ross Island show that warming leads to the deepening of the active soil layer. This causes drying of the surface soil due to higher temperatures and at the same time infiltration of water into deeper layers, which affects heat transfer and melting of the active layer above the permafrost. Lack of water in the surface layer can negatively affect the spread and health of local vegetation, which has also been observed at some sites in East Antarctica.
Soil moisture as a key, yet overlooked factor
This finding contradicts the common hypothesis that warming generally benefits vegetation. The SEAL project therefore focuses on soil moisture as a key factor that has not been sufficiently studied. Without available water, it is unclear what vegetation could benefit from, even if temperature conditions were more favorable. This aspect is crucial for understanding the future development of ecosystems on the Antarctic Peninsula.
The importance of long-term monitoring and international cooperation
The research emphasizes the importance of long-term monitoring of soil moisture. "We assume that besides climate change, soil moisture will be one of the main factors determining the future of the Antarctic environment. Our results improve understanding of the current impacts of climate change and allow modeling of the future development of the active layer and permafrost," adds Filip Hrbáček.
Within every year expeditions of the Masaryk University and international cooperation with Spain, Portugal, and Ukraine, we are building a soil moisture monitoring network at approximately 20 sites. Currently, we monitor 7 to 8 sites, including James Ross Island, the South Shetlands, and the western part of the Antarctic Peninsula. This provides a basic dataset for tracking spatial variability and seasonal moisture trends in this sensitive area.
Challenges and the need for better understanding
Soil moisture is often discussed but still insufficiently monitored due to its considerable spatial variability. Nevertheless, it is very important for modeling future changes in environments with permafrost and active soil layers. It is therefore essential to better understand its role in these systems to more accurately predict and monitor their dynamics.
The SEAL project thus significantly contributes to the knowledge of processes that will shape Antarctic ecosystems in the coming decades.
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