Changes in meltwater chemistry over a 20-year period following a thermal regime switch from polythermal to cold-based glaciation at Austre Brøggerbreen, Svalbard

Polar research

Andy Hodson²  Aga Nowak³ 

[1] Arctic GeologyUniversity Centre in Svalbard, PO Box 156, NO-9171 Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway;Department of GeographyUniversity of Sheffield, Winter Street, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UK;Department of GeographyUniversity of Sheffield, Winter Street, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UKCorrespondence

关键词: High Arctic;    Bayelva;    meltwater geochemistry;    chemical weathering in glacierized catchment;    glacier retreat;    climate change;   

DOI  :  10.3402/polar.v33.22779

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

来源: Co-Action Publishing

【 摘 要 】

Our long-term study gives a rare insight into meltwater hydrochemistry following the transition of Austre Brøggerbreen from polythermal to cold-based glaciation and its continued retreat. We find that the processes responsible for ion acquisition did not change throughout the period of records but became more productive. Two regimes before and after July/August 2000 were identified from changes in solute concentrations and pH. They resulted from increased chemical weathering occurring in ice-marginal and proglacial environments that have become progressively exposed by glacier retreat. Carbonate carbonation nearly doubled between 2000 and 2010, whilst increases in the weathering of silicate minerals were also marked. In addition, the end of ablation season chemistry was characterized by reactions in long residence time flow paths like those in subglacial environments, in spite of their absence in the watershed. Furthermore, the retreat of the glacier caused the sudden re-routing of meltwaters through its ...

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC