Isotopic composition and origin of lacustrine brines in the Arctic

Meromictic lakes in the Arctic Archipelago were analyzed to determine whether the isotope content of the water molecule might confirm their oceanic origin. The 25 m bottom layer of Lake Garrow, on Little Cornwallis Island, is filled with a homogeneous sodium chloride solution with 2.6 times the chlo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
Main Authors: Pagé, P., Michaud, J., Ouellet, M., Dickman, M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1987
Subjects:
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Arctic
Cornwallis
Little Cornwallis Island
Cornwallis Island
Arctic Archipelago
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e87-023
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e87-023
Description
Summary:Meromictic lakes in the Arctic Archipelago were analyzed to determine whether the isotope content of the water molecule might confirm their oceanic origin. The 25 m bottom layer of Lake Garrow, on Little Cornwallis Island, is filled with a homogeneous sodium chloride solution with 2.6 times the chloride concentration of seawater (52 g L −1 ). Its δ 18 O value is around −10‰ with respect to V-SMOW, and its δ 2 H is eight times the oxygen value (~ −85‰). In Lake Sophia on Cornwallis Island, the deep stratum (25 m thick) is less concentrated (35 g L −1 Cl −1 ) and shows slightly higher δ 18 O and δ 2 H values (−9 and −75‰, respectively).Chemocline and surficial waters result from mixing between bottom waters and meteoric waters. The chemical and isotopic signals are interpreted as evidence of diagenesis through subpermafrost or intrapermafrost freezing of aquifers once filled with seawater, at some time during postglacial emergence.

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