Geochemical composition and n-alkane abundance in North Slope Arctic soils, Alaska, 2014

Arctic soils contain a large amount of carbon due to low temperatures causing minimal degradation of organic compounds. As temperatures rise, the frozen soil thaws allowing increased microbial activity. Analysis of plant leaf waxes (alkane) concentrations in the Alaska region provide insight into the carbon accumulated in the soil and the degradation processes that are occurring. In this study we examined the concentration and distribution of alkanes along a north-south transect from the Arctic Ocean to the Brooks Range along with other geochemical parameters. We found that while there were no significant differences in surface alkane composition, there were site specific variations with depth, which may be due a combination of different carbon inputs and degradation processes.