One of the main aims of the permafrost hydrology is estimation of dissolved organic carbon formation and runoff to the Arctic Ocean by rivers. For East Siberian Russian Arctic Rivers it could be done according to current measured in expedition data as well as historical data which have been carried out on the Roshydromet polar stations. The source of the historical data about organic carbon contains the values of the permanganate oxidation (PO). According to historical data a mean PO value for the Lena River for 1960-1975 in Kachyug station (upstream of the river) is 10.2 mg/l, for the Yana River in Verkhoyansk station (upstream of the river) – 7.3 mg/l, for the Indigirka River in Indigirskiy station – 5.6 mg/l and in Vorontsovo station – 7.4 mg/l. PO is the closest to the modern useful parameter DOC (dissolved organic concentration) but not equal. There are special local coefficients of conversation, we used an average value (DOC=0.5*PO). Based on recalculation
mean annual DOC discharge for Lena, Kachyug could be 85,6 kg/s.
During the Russian-German expedition “Lena-2012” to the Lena River delta in August several measurements of DOC and PO were made in the river channels, lakes and pore waters on the catchment of the Fish Lake of Samoylovsky Island of the delta. Special studies to compare PO and DOC were done too. PO for the river channels was 18-22 mg/l, for lakes - 15 - 22 mg/l, in pore waters (the Fish lake catchment) the concentration was higher - 47-48 mg/l. DOC concentrations in pore water ranged from 8 to 51 mg/l and average DOC concentration in the catchment of the Fish Lake was 25 mg/l. So, following measurements PO and DOC allow understanding clearer processes of carbon formation, to receive current carbon runoff and to estimate its changes in Arctic Rivers.