Toward a geochemical mass balance of major elements in Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau: A significant role of atmospheric deposition

ABSTRACTCryoconite is a dark-coloured granular sediment that contains biological and mineralogical components, and it plays a pivotal role in geochemistry, carbon cycling and glacier mass balance. In this work, we collected cryoconite samples from Laohugou Glacier No. 12 (LHG) on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau during the summer of 2015 and measured the spectral albedo. To explore the impacts of this sediment on surface ablation, the ice melting differences between the cryoconite-free (removed) ice and the intact layers were compared. The results showed that the mean concentrations of black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC) and total iron (Fe) in the LHG cryoconite were 1.28, 11.18 and 39.94 mg g−1, respectively. BC was found to play a stronger role in solar light adsorption than OC and free Fe. In addition, ice covered by cryoconite exhibited the lowest mean reflectance (i.e., <0.1). Compared with the cryoconite-free ice surface, cryoconite effectively absorbed solar energy and enhanced glacial melting at a rate of 2.27–3.28 cm d−1, and free Fe, BC and OC were estimated to contribute 1.01, 0.99 and 0.76 cm d−1, respectively. This study provides important insights for understanding the role of cryoconite in the glacier mass balance of the northern Tibetan Plateau.

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Geochemical and isotopic characteristics of shallow groundwater within the Lake Qinghai catchment, NE Tibetan Plateau

Quaternary International ◽

10.1016/j.quaint.2013.05.033 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 313-314 ◽

pp. 62-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Jun Xiao ◽

Zhangdong Jin ◽

Fei Zhang

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Shallow Groundwater ◽

Lake Qinghai ◽

Ne Tibetan Plateau

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Further quantifying the fluxes and contributions of sources to modern sediment in Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau

Limnology ◽

10.1007/s10201-014-0434-3 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 11-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Dejun Wan ◽

Zhangdong Jin ◽

Fei Zhang ◽

Hongyun Chen ◽

Liumei Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Lake Qinghai ◽

Modern Sediment ◽

Ne Tibetan Plateau

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Use of geochemical mass balance modelling to evaluate the role of weathering in determining stream chemistry in five mid-atlantic watersheds on different lithologies

Hydrological Processes ◽

10.1002/(sici)1099-1085(199706)11:7<719::aid-hyp522>3.0.co;2-2 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 719-744 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

ANNE K. O'BRIEN ◽

KAREN C. RICE ◽

OWEN P. BRICKER ◽

MARGARET M. KENNEDY ◽

R. TODD ANDERSON

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Stream Chemistry ◽

Geochemical Mass Balance

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Synchronous variations of precipitation and temperature at Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau during the past 800 years and their relations to solar activity: evidence from Li/Ca ratios and δ<sup>18</sup>O values of ostracod shells

Climate of the Past Discussions ◽

10.5194/cpd-5-1493-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 1493-1520 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Z. Zhu ◽

J. Chen ◽

J. Li ◽

Y. Zeng ◽

J. Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar Activity ◽

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Ice Cores ◽

Single Species ◽

Lake Qinghai ◽

Temperature Variations ◽

The Past ◽

10Be Concentration ◽

Precipitation And Temperature ◽

Ne Tibetan Plateau

Abstract. Variations of precipitation and temperature at Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau on decadal scales during the past 800 years were reconstructed based on the oxygen isotope values and Li/Ca ratios from ostracod shells of the single species Eucypris inflata. Higher temperature relates to lower Li/Ca ratios; higher precipitation relates to lower δ18O values, and vice versa. The good correlation between Li/Ca ratios and δ18O values of ostracod shells indicates that temperature variations corresponded well with precipitation variations on decadal scales during the past 800 years. Variations of precipitation and temperature are synchronous with variations of solar activity reconstructed from the atmospheric 14C concentration in tree rings and the 10Be concentration in ice cores. These findings suggest that, on decadal scales solar activity may be responsible for the synchronous variations of precipitation and temperature at Lake Qinghai, NE Tibetan Plateau during the past 800 years. Keywords: Precipitation variations; Temperature variations; Eucypris inflata; Li/Ca; δ18O; Synchronous variations; Lake Qinghai; Solar activity.

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