Articles | Volume 12, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-633-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Original research article
| Highlight paper
| 
18 May 2026
Original research article | Highlight paper |
| 18 May 2026
| 18 May 2026
Mineral-bound organic carbon exposed by hillslope thermokarst terrain: case study in Cape Bounty, Canadian High Arctic
Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Julien Fouché
LISAH, Univ. Montpellier, AgroParisTech, INRAE, Institut Agro, IRD, Montpellier, France
Hugues Titeux
Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Charlotte Morelle
Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Nathan Bemelmans
Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Melissa J. Lafrenière
Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
Joanne K. Heslop
Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
now at: The Alaska Earthquake Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Sophie Opfergelt
Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Editorial statement
The study unveils stabilization and destabilization processes of soil organic carbon under thawing, in a hotspot of climate change impact, the Arctic. It shows deep thawing could expose organic carbon more readily accessible to degradation. This could result in a positive feedback loop, further enhancing greenhouse gas emissions and aggravating global warming.
The study unveils stabilization and destabilization processes of soil organic carbon under...
Short summary
This study examines organic carbon (OC)–mineral interactions in permafrost soils undergoing thermokarst degradation in Cape Bounty (Melville Island, Canada). Chemically stabilized OC accounts for 13 ± 5 % as organo-metallic complexes and 6 ± 2 % as associations with iron oxides. Including physical protection, up to 64 ± 10 % of OC is mineral-protected. Deeper layers show a sharp decline in mineral-bound OC, suggesting increased vulnerability to degradation when exposed by deep thaw features.
This study examines organic carbon (OC)–mineral interactions in permafrost soils undergoing...
