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Drivers of winter ice formation on Arctic water bodies in the Lena Delta, Siberia

Authors :
Martha Lütjen
Pier Paul Overduin
Bennet Juhls
Julia Boike
Anne Morgenstern
Hanno Meyer
Source :
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol 56, Iss 1 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
Taylor & Francis Group, 2024.

Abstract

Arctic landscapes are characterized by diverse water bodies, which are covered with ice for most of the year. Ice controls surface albedo, hydrological properties, gas exchange, and ecosystem services, but freezing processes differ between water bodies. We studied the influence of geomorphology and meteorology on winter ice of water bodies in the Lena Delta, Siberia. Electrical conductivity (EC) and stable water isotopes of ice cores from four winters and six water bodies were measured at unprecedented resolution down to 2-cm increments, revealing differences in freezing systems. Open-system freezing shows near-constant isotopic and EC gradients in ice, whereas closed-system freezing shows decreasing isotopic composition with depth. Lena River ice displays three zones of isotopic composition within the ice, reflecting open-system freezing that records changing water sources over the winter. The isotope composition of ice covers in landscape units of different ages also reflects the individual water reservoir settings (i.e., Pleistocene vs. Holocene ground ice thaw). Ice growth models indicate that snow properties are a dominant determinant of ice growth over winter. Our findings provide novel insights into the winter hydrochemistry of Arctic ice covers, including the influences of meteorology and water body geomorphology on freezing rates and processes.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
15230430 and 19384246
Volume :
56
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.087915fb20bd40dba52a02c3fe7a28ee
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2024.2350546