Limnological features of the saline lakes of the Bunger Hills (Wilkes Land, Antarctica)

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Kaup, E., Haendel, D., Vaikmäe, R.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1993
• Subjects: Geology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Oceanography; Bunger Hills; Wilkes Land; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102093000070; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102093000070

Twelve saline lakes 5-35m above sea level in Bunger Hills (66°10'S, 101°00'E) were investigated from January to April in 1987-89. Some lakes may be relict and all were subject to wind-borne marine salts with present salinities between 3.4-79.0°/‰ and δ 18 O values mostly between -10 to -14%. Temperatures up to 17.7°C were measured at the bottom of Lake Polest where a sharp thermohalocline was observed during the period of open water. Mg 2+ dominated over Ca 2+ in all the lakes. Phosphates concentration was 3-10 μgP I -1 and total phosphorus 8-16 μgP I -1 . The concentrations of nitrates and nitrites were often equal, ranging between 1-4 μgN I -1 . Dissolved O 2 was usually near saturation levels but peaked at more than 230% of saturation in the hypolimnion of Lake Polest as a result of temperature-enhanced photosynthesis with an assimilation rate of 23.9 mgC (mg Chl a ) -1 h -1 . The values for chlorophyll a were 0.26-1.93 mg m -3 and for primary production 0.013-0.171 gCm -3 d -1 , the latter being an order of magnitude higher than in the fresh water lakes of the Bunger Hills.