Dissolved methane concentrations in Arctic tundra soil profiles in Utqiagvik, Alaska during Fall 2019 and Spring 2021

When wet Arctic tundra soils begin to freeze in the fall, an unfrozen layer remains between the frozen surface and deeper permafrost layers. This period is known as the zero curtain, as liquid water keeps the temperature of this soil layer near 0 Celsius (C) while latent heat is gradually dissipated. Significant methane emissions have been observed during this period but the role of concurrent biological production vs escape of stored methane requires more study. This dataset includes dissolved methane concentrations from the active layer (upper 35 centimeters (cm)) of Arctic tundra soils during the fall zero curtain period and in the spring, at the beginning of the thaw period. These data help address the question of biological methane production and storage during the fall.