Assessing permafrost erosion in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, Herschel Island - a biomarker approach

The island is located in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, in the northwestern part of the Yukon Territory. A marine depression (Herschel Basin), southeastern adjacent to Herschel Island, acts as a sink of organic matter (OM) derived from various sources.

The main objective of this master thesis was to determine the amount of OM, derived from Herschel Island, in the deposits of Herschel Basin. Rapidly increasing mean annual air temperatures (MAAT) in high latitude areas raise awareness of a changing Arctic climate and consequences for the Arctic carbon cycle. Biomarker analyses of soil and sediment samples from various study sites on and around Herschel Island show that sediments in Herschel Basin are of prevailing terrigenous origin.