Articles | Volume 30, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3095-2026
© 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/hess-30-3095-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 May 2026
Research article |
| 21 May 2026
| 21 May 2026
Simulating carbon fluxes in boreal catchments: WSFS-Vemala model development and key insights
Marie Korppoo
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Climate solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Inese Huttunen
Climate solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Markus Huttunen
Climate solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Maiju Narikka
Climate solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Jari Silander
Quality of information, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Tom Jilbert
Environmental geochemistry group, Department of geosciences and geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Martin Forsius
Nature solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Pirkko Kortelainen
Nature solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Niina Kotamäki
Marine and Freshwater solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Cintia Uvo
Marine and Freshwater solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
Water Resources Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Anna-Kaisa Ronkanen
Marine and Freshwater solutions, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Helsinki, Finland
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This dataset includes monthly measurements of carbon dioxide and methane exchange between land, water, and the atmosphere from over 1000 sites in Arctic and boreal regions. It combines measurements from a variety of ecosystems, including wetlands, forests, tundra, lakes, and rivers, gathered by over 260 researchers from 1984–2024. This dataset can be used to improve and reduce uncertainty in carbon budgets in order to strengthen our understanding of climate feedbacks in a warming world.
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3899, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3899, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Dana Hellemann, Xiaole Sun, Tom Jilbert, Eva Ehrnsten, Lora Harris, Bo Gustafsson, Christoph Humborg, and Alf Norkko
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Margaret F. Williamson, Tom Jilbert, Alf Norkko, and Camilla Gustafsson
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Reed bed carbon (C) storage is a topic of interest due to increased global distribution of reeds. C budgets to combat climate change often catalog reed beds as saltmarshes. Our findings show that reed beds are unique from saltmarshes, C storage is highest in reed bed sediments, and that reed bed zones may impact C storage. Further research into reed bed C is needed to better combat climate change and to ensure reeds are managed in a way that does not release excess C.
K. Mareike Paul, Martijn Hermans, Sami A. Jokinen, Inda Brinkmann, Helena L. Filipsson, and Tom Jilbert
Biogeosciences, 20, 5003–5028, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5003-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5003-2023, 2023
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Seawater naturally contains trace metals such as Mo and U, which accumulate under low oxygen conditions on the seafloor. Previous studies have used sediment Mo and U contents as an archive of changing oxygen concentrations in coastal waters. Here we show that in fjords the use of Mo and U for this purpose may be impaired by additional processes. Our findings have implications for the reliable use of Mo and U to reconstruct oxygen changes in fjords.
Inda Brinkmann, Christine Barras, Tom Jilbert, Tomas Næraa, K. Mareike Paul, Magali Schweizer, and Helena L. Filipsson
Biogeosciences, 19, 2523–2535, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2523-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2523-2022, 2022
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The concentration of the trace metal barium (Ba) in coastal seawater is a function of continental input, such as riverine discharge. Our geochemical records of the severely hot and dry year 2018, and following wet year 2019, reveal that prolonged drought imprints with exceptionally low Ba concentrations in benthic foraminiferal calcium carbonates of coastal sediments. This highlights the potential of benthic Ba / Ca to trace past climate extremes and variability in coastal marine records.
Karol Kuliński, Gregor Rehder, Eero Asmala, Alena Bartosova, Jacob Carstensen, Bo Gustafsson, Per O. J. Hall, Christoph Humborg, Tom Jilbert, Klaus Jürgens, H. E. Markus Meier, Bärbel Müller-Karulis, Michael Naumann, Jørgen E. Olesen, Oleg Savchuk, Andreas Schramm, Caroline P. Slomp, Mikhail Sofiev, Anna Sobek, Beata Szymczycha, and Emma Undeman
Earth Syst. Dynam., 13, 633–685, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-633-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-633-2022, 2022
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The paper covers the aspects related to changes in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C, N, P) external loads; their transformations in the coastal zone; changes in organic matter production (eutrophication) and remineralization (oxygen availability); and the role of sediments in burial and turnover of C, N, and P. Furthermore, this paper also focuses on changes in the marine CO2 system, the structure of the microbial community, and the role of contaminants for biogeochemical processes.
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Short summary
The development of carbon processes in the water quality model WSFS (Watershed Simulation and Forecasting System)-Vemala presents a significant advancement in simulating both total organic and inorganic carbon dynamics, burial and emissions through a river/lake network. The addition of organic acids to the total alkalinity definition improved pH simulations and thus the simulation of CO2 emissions in the acidic and organic rich waters of Finland. The new Vemala model provides a robust foundation to support water management in the future.
The development of carbon processes in the water quality model WSFS (Watershed Simulation and...
