On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments
Our novel study examines landscape biogeochemical evolution following deglaciation and permafrost change in Svalbard by looking at the productivity of various micro-catchments existing within one watershed. It also sheds light on how moraine, talus and soil environments contribute to solute export f...
Published in: | Hydrological Processes |
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Language: | English |
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2014
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Online Access: | https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/1/Nowak%20and%20Hodson%20hyp10263.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10263 |
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ftleedsuniv:oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:81931 2023-05-15T14:25:28+02:00 On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments Nowak, A. Hodson, A. 2014-11-25 text https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/1/Nowak%20and%20Hodson%20hyp10263.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10263 en eng Wiley https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/1/Nowak%20and%20Hodson%20hyp10263.pdf Nowak, A. and Hodson, A. (2014) On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments. Hydrological Processes. Article first published online: 12 August 2014. ISSN 0885-6087 Article PeerReviewed 2014 ftleedsuniv https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10263 2023-01-30T21:29:44Z Our novel study examines landscape biogeochemical evolution following deglaciation and permafrost change in Svalbard by looking at the productivity of various micro-catchments existing within one watershed. It also sheds light on how moraine, talus and soil environments contribute to solute export from the entire watershed into the downstream marine ecosystem. We find that solute dynamics in different micro-catchments are sensitive to abiotic factors such as runoff volume, water temperature, geology, geomorphological controls upon hydrological flowpaths and landscape evolution following sea level and glacial changes. Biotic factors influence the anionic composition of runoff because of the importance of microbial SO42− and NO3− production. The legacy of glaciation and its impact upon sea level changes is shown to influence local hydrochemistry, allowing Cl− to be used as a tracer of thawing permafrost that has marine origins. However, we show that a ‘glacial signal’ dominates solute export from the watershed. Therefore, although climatically driven change in the proglacial area has an influence on local ecosystems, the biogeochemical response of the entire watershed is dominated by glacially derived products of rapid chemical weathering. Consequently, only the study of micro-catchments existing within watersheds can uncover the landscape response to contemporary climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Climate change permafrost Svalbard White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) Arctic Svalbard Hydrological Processes 29 6 1588 1603 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
White Rose Research Online (Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York) |
op_collection_id |
ftleedsuniv |
language |
English |
description |
Our novel study examines landscape biogeochemical evolution following deglaciation and permafrost change in Svalbard by looking at the productivity of various micro-catchments existing within one watershed. It also sheds light on how moraine, talus and soil environments contribute to solute export from the entire watershed into the downstream marine ecosystem. We find that solute dynamics in different micro-catchments are sensitive to abiotic factors such as runoff volume, water temperature, geology, geomorphological controls upon hydrological flowpaths and landscape evolution following sea level and glacial changes. Biotic factors influence the anionic composition of runoff because of the importance of microbial SO42− and NO3− production. The legacy of glaciation and its impact upon sea level changes is shown to influence local hydrochemistry, allowing Cl− to be used as a tracer of thawing permafrost that has marine origins. However, we show that a ‘glacial signal’ dominates solute export from the watershed. Therefore, although climatically driven change in the proglacial area has an influence on local ecosystems, the biogeochemical response of the entire watershed is dominated by glacially derived products of rapid chemical weathering. Consequently, only the study of micro-catchments existing within watersheds can uncover the landscape response to contemporary climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nowak, A. Hodson, A. |
spellingShingle |
Nowak, A. Hodson, A. On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments |
author_facet |
Nowak, A. Hodson, A. |
author_sort |
Nowak, A. |
title |
On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments |
title_short |
On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments |
title_full |
On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments |
title_fullStr |
On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments |
title_full_unstemmed |
On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments |
title_sort |
on the biogeochemical response of a glacierized high arctic watershed to climate change: revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/ https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/1/Nowak%20and%20Hodson%20hyp10263.pdf https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10263 |
geographic |
Arctic Svalbard |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Svalbard |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Climate change permafrost Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Climate change permafrost Svalbard |
op_relation |
https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/81931/1/Nowak%20and%20Hodson%20hyp10263.pdf Nowak, A. and Hodson, A. (2014) On the biogeochemical response of a glacierized High Arctic watershed to climate change: Revealing patterns, processes and heterogeneity among micro-catchments. Hydrological Processes. Article first published online: 12 August 2014. ISSN 0885-6087 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10263 |
container_title |
Hydrological Processes |
container_volume |
29 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
1588 |
op_container_end_page |
1603 |
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1766297855812698112 |