Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters
Glaciers and ice sheets are experiencing rapid warming under current climatic change and there is increasing evidence that glacial meltwaters provide key dissolved and dissolvable amorphous nutrients to downstream ecosystems. However, large debate exists around the fate of these nutrients within com...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences |
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Online Access: | https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/44/393944.pdf |
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ftnioz:oai:imis.nioz.nl:368668 2023-12-10T09:49:11+01:00 Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters Hatton, J.E. Ng, H.C. Meire, L. Woodward, E.M.S. Leng, M.J. Coath, C.D. Stuart-Lee, A.E. Wang, T. Annett, A.L. Hendry, K.R. 2023 application/pdf https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/44/393944.pdf en eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/doi.org/10.1029/2022jg007242 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/44/393944.pdf info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess %3Ci%3EJGR%3A+Biogeosciences+128%287%29%3C%2Fi%3E.+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2022jg007242%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttps%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2022jg007242%3C%2Fa%3E info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2023 ftnioz https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jg007242 2023-11-15T23:21:56Z Glaciers and ice sheets are experiencing rapid warming under current climatic change and there is increasing evidence that glacial meltwaters provide key dissolved and dissolvable amorphous nutrients to downstream ecosystems. However, large debate exists around the fate of these nutrients within complex and heterogenous fjord environments, where biogeochemical cycling is still often poorly understood. We combine silicon (Si) concentration data with isotopic compositions to better understand silicon cycling and export in two contrasting fjordic environments in south-west Greenland. We show that both fjords have isotopically light dissolved silicon (DSi) within surface waters, despite an apparently rapid biological drawdown of DSi with increasing salinity. We hypothesize that such observations cannot be explained by simple water mass mixing processes, and postulate that an isotopically light source of Si, most likely glacially derived amorphous silica (ASi), is responsible for further modifying these coastal waters within the fjords and beyond. Fjord to coastal exchange is likely a relatively slow process (several months), and thus is less impacted by short-term (<seasonal) changes of glacial meltwater input into the fjord, which has implications when considering the role of glacial meltwaters on nutrient export beyond the shelf break. We highlight the need for isotopic studies combined with dissolved and particulate nutrient concentration analysis to provide a more detailed analysis into the biogeochemical cycles within these highly dynamic fjord environments. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland NIOZ Repository (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) Greenland Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 128 7 |
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Open Polar |
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NIOZ Repository (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research) |
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ftnioz |
language |
English |
description |
Glaciers and ice sheets are experiencing rapid warming under current climatic change and there is increasing evidence that glacial meltwaters provide key dissolved and dissolvable amorphous nutrients to downstream ecosystems. However, large debate exists around the fate of these nutrients within complex and heterogenous fjord environments, where biogeochemical cycling is still often poorly understood. We combine silicon (Si) concentration data with isotopic compositions to better understand silicon cycling and export in two contrasting fjordic environments in south-west Greenland. We show that both fjords have isotopically light dissolved silicon (DSi) within surface waters, despite an apparently rapid biological drawdown of DSi with increasing salinity. We hypothesize that such observations cannot be explained by simple water mass mixing processes, and postulate that an isotopically light source of Si, most likely glacially derived amorphous silica (ASi), is responsible for further modifying these coastal waters within the fjords and beyond. Fjord to coastal exchange is likely a relatively slow process (several months), and thus is less impacted by short-term (<seasonal) changes of glacial meltwater input into the fjord, which has implications when considering the role of glacial meltwaters on nutrient export beyond the shelf break. We highlight the need for isotopic studies combined with dissolved and particulate nutrient concentration analysis to provide a more detailed analysis into the biogeochemical cycles within these highly dynamic fjord environments. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hatton, J.E. Ng, H.C. Meire, L. Woodward, E.M.S. Leng, M.J. Coath, C.D. Stuart-Lee, A.E. Wang, T. Annett, A.L. Hendry, K.R. |
spellingShingle |
Hatton, J.E. Ng, H.C. Meire, L. Woodward, E.M.S. Leng, M.J. Coath, C.D. Stuart-Lee, A.E. Wang, T. Annett, A.L. Hendry, K.R. Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters |
author_facet |
Hatton, J.E. Ng, H.C. Meire, L. Woodward, E.M.S. Leng, M.J. Coath, C.D. Stuart-Lee, A.E. Wang, T. Annett, A.L. Hendry, K.R. |
author_sort |
Hatton, J.E. |
title |
Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters |
title_short |
Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters |
title_full |
Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters |
title_fullStr |
Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters |
title_full_unstemmed |
Silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters |
title_sort |
silicon isotopes highlight the role of glaciated fjords in modifying coastal waters |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/44/393944.pdf |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland |
genre_facet |
Greenland |
op_source |
%3Ci%3EJGR%3A+Biogeosciences+128%287%29%3C%2Fi%3E.+%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2022jg007242%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttps%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.1029%2F2022jg007242%3C%2Fa%3E |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/doi.org/10.1029/2022jg007242 https://www.vliz.be/imisdocs/publications/44/393944.pdf |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jg007242 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences |
container_volume |
128 |
container_issue |
7 |
_version_ |
1784893499981692928 |