Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf

The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf (83°02′N, 74°00′W) is an ∼40 m thick ice feature that occupies a large embayment along Canada's northernmost coast. Sediments cover 10% of its surface and provide a habitat for diverse microbial communities. These assemblages form an organo-sedimentary matrix (microbial...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hydrological Processes
Main Authors: Mueller, D.R., Vincent, W.F.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2006
Subjects:
Online Access:https://curve.carleton.ca/5e614c99-4c04-40e5-bc30-b0f7df69b4eb
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6113
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.6113/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley%20Online%20Library%20will%20be%20unavailable%20for%20up%20to%203%20hours%20on%20Saturday%2019th%20March%202016%20from%20%2011%3A00-14%3A00%20GMT%20/%2007%3A00-10%3A00%20EDT%20/%2019%3A00-22%3A00%20SGT%20for%20essential%20maintenance.%20%20Apologies%20for%20the%20inconvenience.
id ftcarletonuniv:oai:curve.carleton.ca:25011
record_format openpolar
spelling ftcarletonuniv:oai:curve.carleton.ca:25011 2023-05-15T16:41:50+02:00 Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf Mueller, D.R. Vincent, W.F. 2006-03-15 https://curve.carleton.ca/5e614c99-4c04-40e5-bc30-b0f7df69b4eb https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6113 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.6113/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley%20Online%20Library%20will%20be%20unavailable%20for%20up%20to%203%20hours%20on%20Saturday%2019th%20March%202016%20from%20%2011%3A00-14%3A00%20GMT%20/%2007%3A00-10%3A00%20EDT%20/%2019%3A00-22%3A00%20SGT%20for%20essential%20maintenance.%20%20Apologies%20for%20the%20inconvenience. unknown https://curve.carleton.ca/5e614c99-4c04-40e5-bc30-b0f7df69b4eb http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6113 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.6113/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley%20Online%20Library%20will%20be%20unavailable%20for%20up%20to%203%20hours%20on%20Saturday%2019th%20March%202016%20from%20%2011%3A00-14%3A00%20GMT%20/%2007%3A00-10%3A00%20EDT%20/%2019%3A00-22%3A00%20SGT%20for%20essential%20maintenance.%20%20Apologies%20for%20the%20inconvenience. Journal Article 2006 ftcarletonuniv https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6113 2022-01-23T08:18:37Z The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf (83°02′N, 74°00′W) is an ∼40 m thick ice feature that occupies a large embayment along Canada's northernmost coast. Sediments cover 10% of its surface and provide a habitat for diverse microbial communities. These assemblages form an organo-sedimentary matrix (microbial mat) composed of cold-tolerant cyanobacteria and several other types of organisms. We investigated the environmental properties (temperature, irradiance, conductivity and nutrient concentration) of the microbial mat habitat and the effect of the microbial mats on the surface topography of the ice shelf. The low albedo of microbial mats relative to the surrounding snow and ice encouraged meltwater production, thereby extending the growth season to 61 days despite only 52 days with mean temperatures above 0 °C. We found large excursions in salinity near the microbial mat during freeze-up and melt, and 54% of all ponds sampled had conductivity profiles indicating stratification. Nutrient concentrations within the microbial mats were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those found in the water column, which underscores the differences between the microbial mat microenvironment and the overall bulk properties of the cryo-ecosystem. The average ice surface ablation in the microbial mat-rich study site was 1·22 m year−1, two times higher than values measured in areas of the ice shelf where mats were less prevalent. We demonstrate with topographic surveys that the microbial mats promote differential ablation and conclude that the cohesive microbial aggregates trap and stabilize sediment, reduce albedo, and thereby influence the surface morphology of the ice shelf. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Shelf Ward Hunt Ice Shelf CURVE - Carleton University Research Virtual Environment Ward Hunt Ice Shelf ENVELOPE(-73.499,-73.499,83.122,83.122) Hydrological Processes 20 4 857 876
institution Open Polar
collection CURVE - Carleton University Research Virtual Environment
op_collection_id ftcarletonuniv
language unknown
description The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf (83°02′N, 74°00′W) is an ∼40 m thick ice feature that occupies a large embayment along Canada's northernmost coast. Sediments cover 10% of its surface and provide a habitat for diverse microbial communities. These assemblages form an organo-sedimentary matrix (microbial mat) composed of cold-tolerant cyanobacteria and several other types of organisms. We investigated the environmental properties (temperature, irradiance, conductivity and nutrient concentration) of the microbial mat habitat and the effect of the microbial mats on the surface topography of the ice shelf. The low albedo of microbial mats relative to the surrounding snow and ice encouraged meltwater production, thereby extending the growth season to 61 days despite only 52 days with mean temperatures above 0 °C. We found large excursions in salinity near the microbial mat during freeze-up and melt, and 54% of all ponds sampled had conductivity profiles indicating stratification. Nutrient concentrations within the microbial mats were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those found in the water column, which underscores the differences between the microbial mat microenvironment and the overall bulk properties of the cryo-ecosystem. The average ice surface ablation in the microbial mat-rich study site was 1·22 m year−1, two times higher than values measured in areas of the ice shelf where mats were less prevalent. We demonstrate with topographic surveys that the microbial mats promote differential ablation and conclude that the cohesive microbial aggregates trap and stabilize sediment, reduce albedo, and thereby influence the surface morphology of the ice shelf. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Mueller, D.R.
Vincent, W.F.
spellingShingle Mueller, D.R.
Vincent, W.F.
Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
author_facet Mueller, D.R.
Vincent, W.F.
author_sort Mueller, D.R.
title Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
title_short Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
title_full Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
title_fullStr Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
title_full_unstemmed Microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
title_sort microbial habitat dynamics and ablation control on the ward hunt ice shelf
publishDate 2006
url https://curve.carleton.ca/5e614c99-4c04-40e5-bc30-b0f7df69b4eb
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6113
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.6113/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley%20Online%20Library%20will%20be%20unavailable%20for%20up%20to%203%20hours%20on%20Saturday%2019th%20March%202016%20from%20%2011%3A00-14%3A00%20GMT%20/%2007%3A00-10%3A00%20EDT%20/%2019%3A00-22%3A00%20SGT%20for%20essential%20maintenance.%20%20Apologies%20for%20the%20inconvenience.
long_lat ENVELOPE(-73.499,-73.499,83.122,83.122)
geographic Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
geographic_facet Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
genre Ice Shelf
Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
genre_facet Ice Shelf
Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
op_relation https://curve.carleton.ca/5e614c99-4c04-40e5-bc30-b0f7df69b4eb
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6113
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hyp.6113/abstract?systemMessage=Wiley%20Online%20Library%20will%20be%20unavailable%20for%20up%20to%203%20hours%20on%20Saturday%2019th%20March%202016%20from%20%2011%3A00-14%3A00%20GMT%20/%2007%3A00-10%3A00%20EDT%20/%2019%3A00-22%3A00%20SGT%20for%20essential%20maintenance.%20%20Apologies%20for%20the%20inconvenience.
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6113
container_title Hydrological Processes
container_volume 20
container_issue 4
container_start_page 857
op_container_end_page 876
_version_ 1766032302894219264