Seasonal variability of organic matter composition in an Alaskan glacier outflow: insights into glacier carbon sources

• Published in: Environmental Research Letters
• Main Authors: Robert G M Spencer, Andrew Vermilyea, Jason Fellman, Peter Raymond, Aron Stubbins, Durelle Scott, Eran Hood
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 2014
• Subjects: glacier; organic matter; dissolved organic carbon; radiocarbon; Alaska; Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; TD1-1066; Environmental sciences; GE1-350; Science; Q; Physics; QC1-999
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/5/055005; https://doaj.org/article/354423b2ecab478285e477b3af8a0634

Glacier ecosystems are a significant source of bioavailable, yet ancient dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Characterizing DOC in Mendenhall Glacier outflow (southeast Alaska) we document a seasonal persistence to the radiocarbon-depleted signature of DOC, highlighting ancient DOC as a ubiquitous feature of glacier outflow. We observed no systematic depletion in Δ ^14 C-DOC with increasing discharge during the melt season that would suggest mobilization of an aged subglacial carbon store. However, DOC concentration, δ ^13 C-DOC, Δ ^14 C-DOC and fluorescence signatures appear to have been influenced by runoff from vegetated hillslopes above the glacier during onset and senescence of melt. In the peak glacier melt period, the Δ ^14 C-DOC of stream samples at the outflow (−181.7 to −355.3‰) was comparable to the Δ ^14 C-DOC for snow samples from the accumulation zone (−207.2 to −390.9‰), suggesting that ancient DOC from the glacier surface is exported in glacier runoff. The pre-aged DOC in glacier snow and runoff is consistent with contributions from fossil fuel combustion sources similar to those documented previously in ice cores and thus provides evidence for anthropogenic perturbation of the carbon cycle. Overall, our results emphasize the need to further characterize DOC inputs to glacier ecosystems, particularly in light of predicted changes in glacier mass and runoff in the coming century.