As permafrost soils in the Arctic warm and thaw, greenhouse gases including methane are released into the atmosphere. USGS Ecologist Kristen Manies of the USGS Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center (GMEGSC) is researching low-cost ways to measure methane emissions across these changing ecosystems.
Kristen Manies
Kristen is an Ecologist with Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center in Menlo Park, CA. She studies how disturbances affect the carbon cycle, with the majority of her research focusing on the boreal region of Alaska and Canada.
Kristen's research explores how disturbance affects the global carbon cycle. Carbon enters soil from dead plant material and exits the soil through decomposition and root respiration. The amount of carbon stored in soil is the sum of these inputs minus the sum of loses. Understanding what controls this balance is important because 1) there is nearly three times the amount of carbon in soils than in the atmosphere, so changes in soil carbon storage can have large impacts on the amount of atmospheric carbon, and 2) soil carbon is tied to soil health.
For most of her career Kristen has been focused on the carbon cycle of the boreal region of Interior Alaska and Canada. Boreal soils are known carbon sinks, meaning that more carbon enters than leaves the soil. However, boreal regions are experiencing a great deal of warming due to climate change. This warming is causing more and higher intensity fires. It is also thawing the permafrost, or frozen soil, that underlies much of the boreal region. These disturbances have the potential to impact not just the amount of carbon entering and leaving the soil, but also the way carbon moves through these ecosystems and rates of this movement. Kristen's research looks for these changes.
Non-USGS Partners:
- NASA-Ames
- NASA-JPL
- University of Alaska
- Fairbanks
- Bonanza Creek LTER
Science and Products
Response of plant, microbial, and soil functions to drought and fire in California
California is experiencing changes in precipitation and wildfire regimes. Longer, hotter fire seasons along with extremes in precipitation are expected to continue. Not only do these disturbances affect the productivity and resilience of ecosystems, they also directly impact human health and wellbeing. Soils hold an immense amount of our terrestrial carbon pool, and the microorganisms and minerals...
Arctic Biogeochemical Response to Permafrost Thaw (ABRUPT)
Warming and thawing of permafrost soils in the Arctic is expected to become widespread over the coming decades. Permafrost thaw changes ecosystem structure and function, affects resource availability for wildlife and society, and decreases ground stability which affects human infrastructure. Since permafrost soils contain about half of the global soil carbon (C) pool, the magnitude of C losses...
USGS using drones to measure methane escaping Arctic permafrost - Aug 2023
As permafrost soils in the Arctic warm and thaw, greenhouse gases including methane are released into the atmosphere. USGS Ecologist Kristen Manies of the USGS Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center (GMEGSC) is researching low-cost ways to measure methane emissions across these changing ecosystems.
Field crew sit on boardwalk while collecting UAS methane measurements in Alaska 2023
Collaborators Kristen Manies (Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center), Joe Adams (National Uncrewed Systems Office, NUSO), Victoria Scholl (NUSO), Brian Gullett U.S.
Collaborators Kristen Manies (Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center), Joe Adams (National Uncrewed Systems Office, NUSO), Victoria Scholl (NUSO), Brian Gullett U.S.
Measuring natural methane emissions from bogs using drones in Alaska B-Roll
Permafrost is ground that has been frozen for at least two years. With the warming climate, permafrost across Alaska is thawing and greenhouse gases such as methane are released as a result. Ecologist Kristen Manies of the U.S.
Permafrost is ground that has been frozen for at least two years. With the warming climate, permafrost across Alaska is thawing and greenhouse gases such as methane are released as a result. Ecologist Kristen Manies of the U.S.
Winter Instrument Maintenance in Alaska
A scientist conducts winter instrument maintenance in interior Alaska surrounded by snow covered forest.
A scientist conducts winter instrument maintenance in interior Alaska surrounded by snow covered forest.
UAS over flux tower
Looking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Looking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Scientific crew and drone operators
Scientific crew and drone operators. Left to right: Richard Kolyer (NASA), Jack McFarland (USGS), Kristen Manies (USGS), and Jonas Jonsson (NASA)
Scientific crew and drone operators. Left to right: Richard Kolyer (NASA), Jack McFarland (USGS), Kristen Manies (USGS), and Jonas Jonsson (NASA)
Methane drone hovering above permafrost
Looking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Looking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Bog and boreal forest in Alaska
Stark comparison between bog (no permafrost) in the foreground and a boreal forest (with permafrost) in the background in the Alaskan interior.
Stark comparison between bog (no permafrost) in the foreground and a boreal forest (with permafrost) in the background in the Alaskan interior.
Science and Products
- Science
Response of plant, microbial, and soil functions to drought and fire in California
California is experiencing changes in precipitation and wildfire regimes. Longer, hotter fire seasons along with extremes in precipitation are expected to continue. Not only do these disturbances affect the productivity and resilience of ecosystems, they also directly impact human health and wellbeing. Soils hold an immense amount of our terrestrial carbon pool, and the microorganisms and minerals...Arctic Biogeochemical Response to Permafrost Thaw (ABRUPT)
Warming and thawing of permafrost soils in the Arctic is expected to become widespread over the coming decades. Permafrost thaw changes ecosystem structure and function, affects resource availability for wildlife and society, and decreases ground stability which affects human infrastructure. Since permafrost soils contain about half of the global soil carbon (C) pool, the magnitude of C losses... - Data
- Multimedia
USGS using drones to measure methane escaping Arctic permafrost - Aug 2023
As permafrost soils in the Arctic warm and thaw, greenhouse gases including methane are released into the atmosphere. USGS Ecologist Kristen Manies of the USGS Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center (GMEGSC) is researching low-cost ways to measure methane emissions across these changing ecosystems.
As permafrost soils in the Arctic warm and thaw, greenhouse gases including methane are released into the atmosphere. USGS Ecologist Kristen Manies of the USGS Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center (GMEGSC) is researching low-cost ways to measure methane emissions across these changing ecosystems.
Field crew sit on boardwalk while collecting UAS methane measurements in Alaska 2023Collaborators Kristen Manies (Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center), Joe Adams (National Uncrewed Systems Office, NUSO), Victoria Scholl (NUSO), Brian Gullett U.S.
Collaborators Kristen Manies (Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center), Joe Adams (National Uncrewed Systems Office, NUSO), Victoria Scholl (NUSO), Brian Gullett U.S.
Measuring natural methane emissions from bogs using drones in Alaska B-RollPermafrost is ground that has been frozen for at least two years. With the warming climate, permafrost across Alaska is thawing and greenhouse gases such as methane are released as a result. Ecologist Kristen Manies of the U.S.
Permafrost is ground that has been frozen for at least two years. With the warming climate, permafrost across Alaska is thawing and greenhouse gases such as methane are released as a result. Ecologist Kristen Manies of the U.S.
Winter Instrument Maintenance in AlaskaA scientist conducts winter instrument maintenance in interior Alaska surrounded by snow covered forest.
A scientist conducts winter instrument maintenance in interior Alaska surrounded by snow covered forest.
UAS over flux towerLooking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Looking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Scientific crew and drone operatorsScientific crew and drone operators. Left to right: Richard Kolyer (NASA), Jack McFarland (USGS), Kristen Manies (USGS), and Jonas Jonsson (NASA)
Scientific crew and drone operators. Left to right: Richard Kolyer (NASA), Jack McFarland (USGS), Kristen Manies (USGS), and Jonas Jonsson (NASA)
Methane drone hovering above permafrostLooking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Looking up at a drone hovering near an open-path methane analyzer mounted on a flux tower. Instruments mounted on both the towers and on the drones are measuring gases emitted from the soil.
Bog and boreal forest in AlaskaStark comparison between bog (no permafrost) in the foreground and a boreal forest (with permafrost) in the background in the Alaskan interior.
Stark comparison between bog (no permafrost) in the foreground and a boreal forest (with permafrost) in the background in the Alaskan interior.
- Publications
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government