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Dissolved major and trace geochemical dynamics in Antarctic lacustrine systems.
Journal article

Dissolved major and trace geochemical dynamics in Antarctic lacustrine systems.

  • Lecomte KL Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), CONICET/Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield, 1611, X5016CGA Córdoba, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield, 1611, X5016CGA Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: karina.lecomte@unc.edu.ar.
  • Vignoni PA Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield, 1611, X5016CGA Córdoba, Argentina; Institute of Geosciences, Potsdam University, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany; Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution, German Research Centre for Geoscience GFZ, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany. Electronic address: pauvignoni@uni-potsdam.de.
  • Echegoyen CV Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), CONICET/Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield, 1611, X5016CGA Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: cvechegoyen@hotmail.com.
  • Santolaya P Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield, 1611, X5016CGA Córdoba, Argentina. Electronic address: mpiasantolaya@gmail.com.
  • Kopalová K Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Praha 2, Czech Republic. Electronic address: katerina.kopalova@natur.cuni.cz.
  • Kohler TJ Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Praha 2, Czech Republic; Current Address: Stream Biofilm and Ecosystem Research Laboratory, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: tyler.j.kohler@gmail.com.
  • Roman M Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: matej.roman@gmail.com.
  • Coria SH Instituto Antártico Argentino, 25 de Mayo 1143, San Martín, Prov. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: silviahcoria@gmail.com.
  • Lirio JM Instituto Antártico Argentino, 25 de Mayo 1143, San Martín, Prov. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: liriojm@gmail.com.
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  • 2019-10-02
Published in:
  • Chemosphere. - 2020
Clearwater mesa
Geochemistry
High latitude lakes
Major and trace elements
PHREEQC modelling
Pristine environments
Antarctic Regions
Carbonates
Climate Change
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Ice Cover
Lakes
Lead
Minerals
Organic Chemicals
Trace Elements
Trinidad and Tobago
Weather
Zinc
English Clearwater Mesa (James Ross Island, northeast Antarctic Peninsula) provides a unique opportunity to study solute dynamics and geochemical weathering in the pristine lacustrine systems of a high latitude environment. In order to determine major controls on the solute composition of these habitats, a geochemical survey was conducted on 35 lakes. Differences between lakes were observed based on measured physico-chemical parameters, revealing neutral to alkaline waters with total dissolved solids (TDS) < 2500 mg L-1. Katerina and Trinidad-Tatana systems showed an increase in their respective TDS, total organic carbon values, and finner sediments from external to internal lakes, indicating an accumulation of solutes due to weathering. Norma and Florencia systems exhibited the most diluted and circumneutral waters, likely from the influence of glacier and snow melt. Finally, isolated lakes presented large variability in TDS values, indicating weathering and meltwater contributions at different proportions. Trace metal abundances revealed a volcanic mineral weathering source, except for Pb and Zn, which could potentially indicate atmospheric inputs. Geochemical modelling was also conducted on a subset of connected lakes to gain greater insight into processes determining solute composition, resulting in the weathering of salts, carbonates and silicates with the corresponding generation of clays. We found CO2 consumption accounted for 20-30% of the total species involved in weathering reactions. These observations allow insights into naturally occurring geochemical processes in a pristine environment, while also providing baseline data for future research assessing the impacts of anthropogenic pollution and the effects of climate change.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://sonar.rero.ch/global/documents/105277
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