A LIMNOLOGICAL RECONNAISSANCE IN THE AREA OF McMURDO SOUND, ANTARCTICA1

• Published in: Limnology and Oceanography
• Main Authors: Armitage, Kenneth B., House, Hugh B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1962
• Subjects: Antarctic; Bonney; Lake Bonney; Lake Vanda; McMurdo Sound; The Antarctic; Two Ponds; Vanda; Victoria Land; Wright Valley; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.4319/lo.1962.7.1.0036; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.4319%2Flo.1962.7.1.0036; https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.4319/lo.1962.7.1.0036

During the Antarctic summer of 1960–61, limnological data were collected from a series of meltwater ponds and permanently ice‐covered lakes in the area of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica (77°51′ S, 166°37′ E). All ponds were basic and more saline than typical fresh‐water lakes. Primary production, measured in two ponds by the “light and dark bottle” technique, varied from 326 to 1008 mgC/m 3 /day. High intensity of light inhibited photosynthesis in shallow water. Lake Bonney in Taylor Dry Valley and Lake Vanda in Wright Valley lie in a large ice‐free area in South Victoria Land on the west side of McMurdo Sound. Each lake is covered with 3.4–4.2 m of permanent ice and is meromictic. The mixolimnion of Lake Bonney varied from 0.3°–8°C; the monomolimnion was below 0°C. The mixolimnion of Lake Vanda varied from 0.7°–9.6°C; the monomolimnion was warmed to 22°C. The lakes are probably warmed geothermally. No zooplankton was found in any of the lakes, but 7 genera of Ciliata, 4 of Rotifera, and one each of Nematoda, Turbellaria, and Tardigrada were collected from the littoral fauna of the meltwater ponds and around the edges of Lakes Bonney and Vanda.