Biogeosciences www.biogeosciences.net 1726-4170 1726-4189 5 1 2008 10.5194/bg-5-111-2008 http://www.biogeosciences.net/5/111/2008/ http://www.biogeosciences.net/5/111/2008/bg-5-111-2008.html http://www.biogeosciences.net/5/111/2008/bg-5-111-2008.pdf 111 121 2008-01-30 Modelling CH4 emissions from arctic wetlands: effects of hydrological parameterization A. M. R. Petrescu roxana.petrescu@falw.vu.nl J. van Huissteden M. Jackowicz-Korczynski A. Yurova T. R. Christensen P. M. Crill K. Bäckstrand T. C. Maximov Vrije Univ., Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Department of Hydrology and Geo-Environmental Sciences, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Lund Univ., Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystems Analysis, Sölvegatan 12, 22362 Lund, Sweden Stockholm Univ., Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Svante Arrhenius väg 8 C, Frescati, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Division, Institute of Biological Problems of Cryolithozone, 41, Lenin Prospekt., Yakutsk, Sakha Republic, 677980, Russia This study compares the CH4 fluxes from two arctic wetland sites of different annual temperatures during 2004 to 2006. The PEATLAND-VU model was used to simulate the emissions. The CH4 module of PEATLAND-VU is based on the Walter-Heimann model. The first site is located in northeast Siberia, Indigirka lowlands, Kytalyk reserve (70° N, 147° E) in a continuous permafrost region with mean annual temperatures of −14.3°C. The other site is Stordalen mire in the eastern part of Lake Torneträsk (68° N, 19° E) ten kilometres east of Abisko, northern Sweden. It is located in a discontinuous permafrost region. Stordalen has a sub arctic climate with a mean annual temperature of −0.7°C. Model input consisted of observed temperature, precipitation and snow cover data. In all cases, modelled CH4 emissions show a direct correlation between variations in water table and soil temperature variations. The differences in CH4 emissions between the two sites are caused by different climate, hydrology, soil physical properties, vegetation type and NPP. For Kytalyk the simulated CH4 fluxes show similar trends during the growing season, having average values for 2004 to 2006 between 1.29–2.09 mg CH4 m−2 hr−1. At Stordalen the simulated fluxes show a slightly lower average value for the same years (3.52 mg CH4 m−2 hr−1) than the observed 4.7 mg CH4 m−2 hr−1. 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