Chemical weathering and solute export by meltwater in a maritime Antarctic glacier basin

Hodson, Andy; Heaton, Tim; Langford, Harry; Newsham, Kevin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9108-0936. 2010 Chemical weathering and solute export by meltwater in a maritime Antarctic glacier basin. Biogeochemistry, 98 (1-3). 9-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9372-2

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Official URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/100244/

Abstract/Summary

Solute yields, laboratory dissolution data and both chemical and isotopic markers of rock weathering reactions are used to characterise the biogeochemistry of glacial meltwaters draining a maritime Antarctic glacier. We find that delayed flowpaths through ice-marginal talus and moraine sediments are critical for the acquisition of solute from rock minerals because delayed flowpaths through subglacial sediments are absent beneath this small, cold-based glacier. Here the mechanisms of weathering are similar to those reported in subglacial environments, and include sub-oxic conditions in the early summer and increasingly oxic conditions thereafter. Up to 85% of the NO3 − and 65% of the SO4 2− are most likely produced by bacterially mediated reactions in these ice marginal sediments. However, reactive pyrite phases are sparse in the host rocks, limiting the export of Fe, SO4 2− and cations that may be removed by weathering once pyrite oxidation has taken place. This means that dissolution of Ca2+ and Na+ from carbonate and silicate minerals dominate, producing moderate cationic denudation yields from Tuva Glacier (163 Σ*meq+ m−2 a−1) compared to a global range of values (94–4,200 Σ*meq+ km−2 a−1). Overall, crustally derived cations represent 42% of the total cationic flux, the rest being accounted for by snowpack sources.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9372-2
Programmes:	BGS Programmes 2010 > NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory
ISSN:	0168-2563
Date made live:	07 May 2010 14:29 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/9800

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9372-2

Programmes:

BGS Programmes 2010 > NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory

ISSN:

0168-2563

Date made live:

07 May 2010 14:29 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/9800