Morphology-dependent water budgets and nutrient fluxes in Arctic thaw ponds

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Permafrost on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska creates unique pond morphologies : deep troughs, shallow low-centred polygons (LCPs) and larger coalescent ponds. By monitoring seasonal trends in pond volume and chemistry, the AA. evaluated whether pond morphology and size affect water temperature and desiccation, and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fluxes. Evaporation was the largest early-summer water flux in all pond types. LCPs dried quickly and displayed high early-summer nutrient concentrations and losses. Troughs consistently received solute-rich subsurface inflows, which accounted for 12 to 42 per cent of their volume and may explain higher P in the troughs. Arctic summer temperatures will likely increase in the future, which may accelerate mid-summer desiccation. Given their morphology, troughs may remain wet, become warmer and derive greater nutrient loads from their thawing banks. Overall, seasonal- to decadal-scale warming may increase ecosystem productivity in troughs relative to other Arctic Coastal Plain ponds.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Permafrost and periglacial processes, issn : 1045-6740, 2014, vol. 25, n°. 2, p. 79-93, nombre de pages : 15, Références bibliographiques : 49 ref.

Date :
2014

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley