scholarly journals Testing Landscape, Climate and Lithology Impact on Carbon, Major and Trace Elements of the Lena River and Its Tributaries during a Spring Flood Period

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2093
Author(s):  
Sergey N. Vorobyev ◽  
Yuri Kolesnichenko ◽  
Mikhail A. Korets ◽  
Oleg S. Pokrovsky

Transport of carbon, major and trace elements by rivers in permafrost-affected regions is one of the key factors in circumpolar aquatic ecosystem response to climate warming and permafrost thaw. A snap-shot study of major and trace element concentration in the Lena River basin during the peak of spring flood revealed a specific group of solutes according to their spatial pattern across the river main stem and tributaries and allowed the establishment of a link to certain landscape parameters. We demonstrate a systematic decrease of labile major and trace anion, alkali and alkaline-earth metal concentration downstream of the main stem of the Lena River, linked to change in dominant rocks from carbonate to silicate, and a northward decreasing influence of the groundwater. In contrast, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and a number of low-soluble elements exhibited an increase in concentration from the SW to the NE part of the river. We tentatively link this to an increase in soil organic carbon stock and silicate rocks in the Lena River watershed in this direction. Among all the landscape parameters, the proportion of sporadic permafrost on the watershed strongly influenced concentrations of soluble highly mobile elements (Cl, B, DIC, Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Mo, As and U). Another important factor of element concentration control in the Lena River tributaries was the coverage of the watershed by light (for B, Cl, Na, K, U) and deciduous (for Fe, Ni, Zn, Ge, Rb, Zr, La, Th) needle-leaf forest (pine and larch). Our results also suggest a DOC-enhanced transport of low-soluble trace elements in the NW part of the basin. This part of the basin is dominated by silicate rocks and continuous permafrost, as compared to the carbonate rock-dominated and groundwater-affected SW part of the Lena River basin. Overall, the impact of rock lithology and permafrost on major and trace solutes of the Lena River basin during the peak of spring flood was mostly detected at the scale of the main stem. Such an impact for tributaries was much less pronounced, because of the dominance of surface flow and lower hydrological connectivity with deep groundwater in the latter. Future changes in the river water chemistry linked to climate warming and permafrost thaw at the scale of the whole river basin are likely to stem from changes in the spatial pattern of dominant vegetation as well as the permafrost regime. We argue that comparable studies of large, permafrost-affected rivers during contrasting seasons, including winter baseflow, should allow efficient prediction of future changes in riverine ‘inorganic’ hydrochemistry induced by permafrost thaw.

Author(s):  
Sergey N. Vorobyev ◽  
Yuri Kolesnichenko ◽  
Mikhail Korets ◽  
Oleg S. Pokrovsky

Transport of carbon, major and trace element by rivers in permafrost-affected regions is one of the key factor of circumpolar aquatic ecosystem response to climate warming and permafrost thaw. While seasonal and annual export fluxes (yields) of carbon (C) and inorganic solutes are fairly well known for all large Arctic rivers, spatial variations in elementary concentration along the river length and among its tributaries remain poorly understood. Moreover, the landscape factors controlling riverine element concentration in permafrost-affected regions are still poorly constrained. This is especially true for the largest river of Eastern Siberia, the Lena River, which drains through continuous permafrost zones with highly variable lithology and vegetation. Here we present the results of C, major and trace element measurements over a 2600-km transect of the Lena River main stem (upper and middle reaches) including its 30 tributaries, conducted at the peak of the spring flood. There were two main group of solutes in the main stem depending on their spatial pattern: i) elements that decreased their concentrations downstream, from SW to NE (Cl, SO4, DIC, Li, B, Na, Mg, K, Ca, As, Sr, Mo, Sb, Ba and U), which probably reflected a decrease in the proportion of carbonate rocks in the watershed and the degree of groundwater feeding, and ii) elements that increased their concentrations downstream (Al, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ga, Rb, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, REEs, Hf and Th), which was tentatively linked to an increase in organic C stock in soils, larch forest coverage and enhanced mobilization of lithogenic elements from silicate soil minerals. Based on landscape parameters of Lena tributaries, we tested the impact of major environmental factors on major and trace element spatial pattern. Among all the variables, the proportion of sporadic permafrost on the watershed strongly controlled concentrations of soluble highly mobile elements (Cl, B, DIC, Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Mo, As and U). Another important factor of element concentration control in the Lena River tributaries was the coverage of watershed by light (B, Cl, Na, K, U) and deciduous (Fe, Ni, Zn, Ge, Rb, Zr, La, Th) needle-leaf forest (pine and larch). The latter, however, could also reflect the DOC-enhanced transport of low-soluble trace elements in the NW part of the basin. This part of the basin is dominated by silicate rocks and continuous permafrost, as compared to carbonate rock-dominated and groundwater-affected SW part of the Lena River basin. Overall, the impact of rock lithology and permafrost on major and trace solutes of the Lena River basin during the peak of spring flood was mostly detected at the scale of the main stem. Such an impact for tributaries was much less pronounced, because of the dominance of surface flow and lower hydrological connectivity with deep groundwater in the latter. Future changes in the river water chemistry linked to climate warming and permafrost thaw at the scale of the whole river basin are likely to be linked to changes in spatial pattern of dominant vegetation, rather than to the permafrost regime. We argue that comparable studies of large, permafrost-impacted rivers during most contrasting seasons, including winter baseflow, should allow efficient prediction of future changes in riverine ‘inorganic’ hydrochemistry induced by permafrost thaw.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 40-46
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Jarnuszewski ◽  
Edward Meller

The study covered 6 sites located in the Vistula glaciation area in north-western Poland, where the Holocene calcareous (gyttja) deposits occur. Three types of such calcareous deposits were isolated: marly (groundwater calcretes) (CaCO<sub>3</sub> &gt; 80%, loss of ignition &lt; 20%, non-carbonate fractions &lt; 20%), calcareous gyttja (CaCO<sub>3</sub> 50–80%, loss of ignition &lt; 40%, non-carbonate fractions &lt; 40%), and clay calcareous gyttja (CaCO<sub>3</sub> 20–50%, loss of ignition &lt; 30%, non-carbonate fractions &lt; 60%). The content of major and trace elements was determined in different horizons. Several parameters of Holocene calcareous deposits were determined, namely carbonate status, total organic carbon, non-carbonate mineral fractions and several major and minor components. Close correlations between CaCO<sub>3</sub> and Ca, Mg contents, between non-carbonate fraction and K, Zn and Cu contents, as well as between ignition loss and Zn and Cu contents were observed in the sediments. The sediments exhibit vertical variability which relates to the genesis of sediments and soils. The highest content of macroelements was recorded in the uppermost layers for Ca, Mg, Na, and Mn and for microelements (trace elements) in bottom layers for S, P, K, Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Ni.  


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 3561-3584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana V. Raudina ◽  
Sergey V. Loiko ◽  
Artyom G. Lim ◽  
Ivan V. Krickov ◽  
Liudmila S. Shirokova ◽  
...  

Abstract. Mobilization of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and related trace elements (TEs) from the frozen peat to surface waters in the permafrost zone is expected to enhance under ongoing permafrost thaw and active layer thickness (ALT) deepening in high-latitude regions. The interstitial soil solutions are efficient tracers of ongoing bio-geochemical processes in the critical zone and can help to decipher the intensity of carbon and metals migration from the soil to the rivers and further to the ocean. To this end, we collected, across a 640 km latitudinal transect of the sporadic to continuous permafrost zone of western Siberia peatlands, soil porewaters from 30 cm depth using suction cups and we analyzed DOC, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and 40 major elements and TEs in 0.45 µm filtered fraction of 80 soil porewaters. Despite an expected decrease in the intensity of DOC and TE mobilization from the soil and vegetation litter to the interstitial fluids with the increase in the permafrost coverage and a decrease in the annual temperature and ALT, the DOC and many major and trace elements did not exhibit any distinct decrease in concentration along the latitudinal transect from 62.2 to 67.4° N. The DOC demonstrated a maximum of concentration at 66° N, on the border of the discontinuous/continuous permafrost zone, whereas the DOC concentration in peat soil solutions from the continuous permafrost zone was equal to or higher than that in the sporadic/discontinuous permafrost zone. Moreover, a number of major (Ca, Mg) and trace (Al, Ti, Sr, Ga, rare earth elements (REEs), Zr, Hf, Th) elements exhibited an increasing, not decreasing, northward concentration trend. We hypothesize that the effects of temperature and thickness of the ALT are of secondary importance relative to the leaching capacity of peat, which is in turn controlled by the water saturation of the peat core. The water residence time in peat pores also plays a role in enriching the fluids in some elements: the DOC, V, Cu, Pb, REEs, and Th were a factor of 1.5 to 2.0 higher in mounds relative to hollows. As such, it is possible that the time of reaction between the peat and downward infiltrating waters essentially controls the degree of peat porewater enrichments in DOC and other solutes. A 2° northward shift in the position of the permafrost boundaries may bring about a factor of 1.3 ± 0.2 decrease in Ca, Mg, Sr, Al, Fe, Ti, Mn, Ni, Co, V, Zr, Hf, Th, and REE porewater concentration in continuous and discontinuous permafrost zones, and a possible decrease in DOC, specific ultraviolet absorbency (SUVA), Ca, Mg, Fe, and Sr will not exceed 20 % of their current values. The projected increase in ALT and vegetation density, northward migration of the permafrost boundary, or the change of hydrological regime is unlikely to modify chemical composition of peat porewater fluids larger than their natural variations within different micro-landscapes, i.e., within a factor of 2. The decrease in DOC and metal delivery to small rivers and lakes by peat soil leachate may also decrease the overall export of dissolved components from the continuous permafrost zone to the Arctic Ocean. This challenges the current paradigm on the increase in DOC export from the land to the ocean under climate warming in high latitudes.


2010 ◽  
Vol 273 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 136-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.S. Pokrovsky ◽  
J. Viers ◽  
L.S. Shirokova ◽  
V.P. Shevchenko ◽  
A.S. Filipov ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kombrink ◽  
B.J.H. van Os ◽  
C.J. van der Zwan ◽  
Th.E. Wong

AbstractGeochemical studies on Upper Carboniferous marine bands showed that marked enrichment in redox-sensitive trace elements (uranium (U), vanadium (V), molybdenum (Mo)) mostly occur if they containGoniatites. Goniatitesindicate deposition in relatively distal and deep marine environments. In contrast, Westphalian marine bands found in the Netherlands predominantly show aLingulafacies, indicating deposition in a nearshore environment. TheseLingulamarine bands are mostly lacking significant trace element enrichments. The aim of this paper is to explain the mechanisms causing the differences in geochemical characteristics between distal (Goniatitesfacies) and proximal (Lingulafacies) marine bands. Geochemical analyses (total organic carbon (TOC), sulfur (S), major and trace elements) were carried out on a selection of these marine bands. Furthermore, a comparison was made with some lacustrine bands which broadly show the same sedimentary development as theLingulamarine bands. The results show that theLingulamarine bands, in contrast to theGoniatitesand lacustrine bands, are characterised by low organic carbon contents (1 – 2 wt.%). A relatively high input of siliciclastics probably prevented the accumulation of organic-rich layers (dilution effect). In turn, low organic carbon contents most likely prevented the effective scavenging of trace elements. Although the lacustrine bands are characterised by high TOC contents, here the limited availability of trace elements in fresh water forms the best explanation for low trace metal enrichments. Since marine bands form stratigraphically important horizons in the Upper Carboniferous, many attempts have been made to recognise marine bands using well logs (gamma-ray). The results from this study show that using gamma-ray devices (detecting U-enrichments), only marine bands in aGoniatitesfacies are clearly recognised whileLingulamarine bands are not detected.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 4919-4936
Author(s):  
Sergey N. Vorobyev ◽  
Jan Karlsson ◽  
Yuri Y. Kolesnichenko ◽  
Mikhail A. Korets ◽  
Oleg S. Pokrovsky

Abstract. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from inland waters of permafrost-affected regions is one of the key factors of circumpolar aquatic ecosystem response to climate warming and permafrost thaw. Riverine systems of central and eastern Siberia contribute a significant part of the water and carbon (C) export to the Arctic Ocean, yet their C exchange with the atmosphere remains poorly known due to lack of in situ GHG concentration and emission estimates. Here we present the results of continuous in situ pCO2 measurements over a 2600 km transect of the Lena River main stem and lower reaches of 20 major tributaries (together representing a watershed area of 1 661 000 km2, 66 % of the Lena's basin), conducted at the peak of the spring flood. The pCO2 in the Lena (range 400–1400 µatm) and tributaries (range 400–1600 µatm) remained generally stable (within ca. 20 %) over the night–day period and across the river channels. The pCO2 in tributaries increased northward with mean annual temperature decrease and permafrost increase; this change was positively correlated with C stock in soil, the proportion of deciduous needleleaf forest, and the riparian vegetation. Based on gas transfer coefficients obtained from rivers of the Siberian permafrost zone (k=4.46 m d−1), we calculated CO2 emission for the main stem and tributaries. Typical fluxes ranged from 1 to 2 gCm-2d-1 (>99 % CO2, <1 % CH4), which is comparable with CO2 emission measured in the Kolyma, Yukon, and Mackenzie rivers and permafrost-affected rivers in western Siberia. The areal C emissions from lotic waters of the Lena watershed were quantified by taking into account the total area of permanent and seasonal water of the Lena basin (28 000 km2 ). Assuming 6 months of the year to be an open water period with no emission under ice, the annual C emission from the whole Lena basin is estimated as 8.3±2.5 Tg C yr−1, which is comparable to the DOC and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) lateral export to the Arctic Ocean.


Author(s):  
Pedro Henrique Dutra ◽  
Vanusa Maria Delage Feliciano ◽  
Carlos Alberto De Carvalho Filho

The Taquari River Basin, located in Poços de Caldas Alkaline Complex, in the southern portion of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, is situated in an old volcanic caldera. Due to its chemical and radiological characteristics, it is an area of economic and mineral interest, and is also home to diverse flora and fauna systems. In its surroundings, there are agricultural areas, industries (active and inactive) and urban and rural centers. This work investigated the total and potentially bioavailable concentrations of major and trace elements for the evaluation of geogenic and anthropogenic contamination potentials in the water bodies. The results show that there is an anthropogenic contribution (fertilizers and mining tailings) in some sectors of the Taquari River Basin, generating possible concerns regarding the quantity of elements that may be transferred to the water bodies. Furthermore, there is the striking geogenic contribution from naturally enriched areas, presenting distinct situations that generate an increase in the concentration of chemical elements in the water bodies.


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