Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream
Abstract Supraglacial streams are important hydrologic features in glaciated environments as they are conduits for the transport of aeolian debris, meltwater, solutes and microbial communities. We characterized the basic geomorphology, hydrology and biogeochemistry of the Cotton Glacier supraglacial...
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0954102016000456 2024-03-03T08:39:16+00:00 Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream SanClements, Michael D. Smith, Heidi J. Foreman, Christine M. Tedesco, Marco Chin, Yu-Ping Jaros, Christopher McKnight, Diane M. 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102016000456 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102016000456 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Antarctic Science volume 29, issue 1, page 33-44 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography journal-article 2016 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102016000456 2024-02-08T08:46:30Z Abstract Supraglacial streams are important hydrologic features in glaciated environments as they are conduits for the transport of aeolian debris, meltwater, solutes and microbial communities. We characterized the basic geomorphology, hydrology and biogeochemistry of the Cotton Glacier supraglacial stream located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The distinctive geomorphology of the stream is driven by accumulated aeolian sediment from the Transantarctic Mountains, while solar radiation and summer temperatures govern melt in the system. The hydrologic functioning of the Cotton Glacier stream is largely controlled by the formation of ice dams that lead to vastly different annual flow regimes and extreme flushing events. Stream water is chemically dilute and lacks a detectable humic signature. However, the fluorescent signature of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the stream does demonstrate an extremely transitory red-shifted signal found only in near-stream sediment leachates and during the initial flushing of the system at the onset of flow. This suggests that episodic physical flushing drives pulses of DOM with variable quality in this stream. This is the first description of a large Antarctic supraglacial stream and our results provide evidence that the hydrology and geomorphology of supraglacial streams drive resident microbial community composition and biogeochemical cycling. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Cambridge University Press Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys Transantarctic Mountains Cotton Glacier ENVELOPE(161.667,161.667,-77.117,-77.117) Antarctic Science 29 1 33 44 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
spellingShingle |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography SanClements, Michael D. Smith, Heidi J. Foreman, Christine M. Tedesco, Marco Chin, Yu-Ping Jaros, Christopher McKnight, Diane M. Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream |
topic_facet |
Geology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Oceanography |
description |
Abstract Supraglacial streams are important hydrologic features in glaciated environments as they are conduits for the transport of aeolian debris, meltwater, solutes and microbial communities. We characterized the basic geomorphology, hydrology and biogeochemistry of the Cotton Glacier supraglacial stream located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. The distinctive geomorphology of the stream is driven by accumulated aeolian sediment from the Transantarctic Mountains, while solar radiation and summer temperatures govern melt in the system. The hydrologic functioning of the Cotton Glacier stream is largely controlled by the formation of ice dams that lead to vastly different annual flow regimes and extreme flushing events. Stream water is chemically dilute and lacks a detectable humic signature. However, the fluorescent signature of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the stream does demonstrate an extremely transitory red-shifted signal found only in near-stream sediment leachates and during the initial flushing of the system at the onset of flow. This suggests that episodic physical flushing drives pulses of DOM with variable quality in this stream. This is the first description of a large Antarctic supraglacial stream and our results provide evidence that the hydrology and geomorphology of supraglacial streams drive resident microbial community composition and biogeochemical cycling. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
SanClements, Michael D. Smith, Heidi J. Foreman, Christine M. Tedesco, Marco Chin, Yu-Ping Jaros, Christopher McKnight, Diane M. |
author_facet |
SanClements, Michael D. Smith, Heidi J. Foreman, Christine M. Tedesco, Marco Chin, Yu-Ping Jaros, Christopher McKnight, Diane M. |
author_sort |
SanClements, Michael D. |
title |
Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream |
title_short |
Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream |
title_full |
Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream |
title_fullStr |
Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream |
title_full_unstemmed |
Biogeophysical properties of an expansive Antarctic supraglacial stream |
title_sort |
biogeophysical properties of an expansive antarctic supraglacial stream |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102016000456 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102016000456 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(161.667,161.667,-77.117,-77.117) |
geographic |
Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys Transantarctic Mountains Cotton Glacier |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys Transantarctic Mountains Cotton Glacier |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Science Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys |
op_source |
Antarctic Science volume 29, issue 1, page 33-44 ISSN 0954-1020 1365-2079 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954102016000456 |
container_title |
Antarctic Science |
container_volume |
29 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
33 |
op_container_end_page |
44 |
_version_ |
1792494718788042752 |