Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems
Polar deserts are characterized by severe spatial-temporal limitations of liquid water. In soil active layers of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, liquid water is infrequently available over most of the arid terrestrial landscape. However, soils on the margins of glacial melt-water streams and lakes are vi...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10919/48618 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/2349/2009/hess-13-2349-2009.html https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009 |
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ftvirginiatec:oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/48618 2024-05-19T07:31:51+00:00 Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Barrett, John E. Gooseff, Michael N. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina D. Biological Sciences 2009 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/10919/48618 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/2349/2009/hess-13-2349-2009.html https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009 en_US eng Copernicus Publications Barrett, J. E., Gooseff, M. N., and Takacs-Vesbach, C.: Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2349-2358, doi:10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009, 2009. 1027-5606 http://hdl.handle.net/10919/48618 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/2349/2009/hess-13-2349-2009.html https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009 In Copyright http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ mcmurdo dry valleys southern victoria-land level antarctic lake taylor valley organic-carbon climate-change landscape stream biodiversity terrestrial geosciences multidisciplinary water resources Article - Refereed 2009 ftvirginiatec https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009 2024-05-01T00:24:45Z Polar deserts are characterized by severe spatial-temporal limitations of liquid water. In soil active layers of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, liquid water is infrequently available over most of the arid terrestrial landscape. However, soils on the margins of glacial melt-water streams and lakes are visibly wet during the brief Austral summer when temperatures permit the existence of liquid water. We examined the role of these hydrologic margins as preferential zones for the transformation and transport of nutrient elements and solutes in an environment where geochemical weathering and biological activity is strictly limited by the dearth of liquid water. We report on hydropedological investigations of aquatic-terrestrial transition zones adjacent to 11 stream and lake systems in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Our results show that wetted zones extended 1-11 m from the edges of lotic and lentic systems. While capillary demand and surface evaporation drive a one-way flux of water through these zones, the scale of these transition zones is determined by the topography and physical characteristics of the surrounding soils. Nutrient concentrations and fluxes appear to be influenced by both the hydrology and microbial-mediated biogeochemical processes. Salt concentrations are enriched near the distal boundary of the wetted fronts due to evapo-concentration of pore water in lake margin soils, while organic matter, ammonium and phosphate concentrations are highest in stream channel sediments where potential for biological activity is greatest. Thus, in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, intermittently wet soils on the margins of streams and lakes are important zones of both geochemical cycling and biological activity. National Science Foundation 0338174 McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research program Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert Victoria Land VTechWorks (VirginiaTech) Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 13 12 2349 2358 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
VTechWorks (VirginiaTech) |
op_collection_id |
ftvirginiatec |
language |
English |
topic |
mcmurdo dry valleys southern victoria-land level antarctic lake taylor valley organic-carbon climate-change landscape stream biodiversity terrestrial geosciences multidisciplinary water resources |
spellingShingle |
mcmurdo dry valleys southern victoria-land level antarctic lake taylor valley organic-carbon climate-change landscape stream biodiversity terrestrial geosciences multidisciplinary water resources Barrett, John E. Gooseff, Michael N. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina D. Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems |
topic_facet |
mcmurdo dry valleys southern victoria-land level antarctic lake taylor valley organic-carbon climate-change landscape stream biodiversity terrestrial geosciences multidisciplinary water resources |
description |
Polar deserts are characterized by severe spatial-temporal limitations of liquid water. In soil active layers of the Antarctic Dry Valleys, liquid water is infrequently available over most of the arid terrestrial landscape. However, soils on the margins of glacial melt-water streams and lakes are visibly wet during the brief Austral summer when temperatures permit the existence of liquid water. We examined the role of these hydrologic margins as preferential zones for the transformation and transport of nutrient elements and solutes in an environment where geochemical weathering and biological activity is strictly limited by the dearth of liquid water. We report on hydropedological investigations of aquatic-terrestrial transition zones adjacent to 11 stream and lake systems in the Antarctic Dry Valleys. Our results show that wetted zones extended 1-11 m from the edges of lotic and lentic systems. While capillary demand and surface evaporation drive a one-way flux of water through these zones, the scale of these transition zones is determined by the topography and physical characteristics of the surrounding soils. Nutrient concentrations and fluxes appear to be influenced by both the hydrology and microbial-mediated biogeochemical processes. Salt concentrations are enriched near the distal boundary of the wetted fronts due to evapo-concentration of pore water in lake margin soils, while organic matter, ammonium and phosphate concentrations are highest in stream channel sediments where potential for biological activity is greatest. Thus, in the Antarctic Dry Valleys, intermittently wet soils on the margins of streams and lakes are important zones of both geochemical cycling and biological activity. National Science Foundation 0338174 McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research program |
author2 |
Biological Sciences |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Barrett, John E. Gooseff, Michael N. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina D. |
author_facet |
Barrett, John E. Gooseff, Michael N. Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina D. |
author_sort |
Barrett, John E. |
title |
Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems |
title_short |
Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems |
title_full |
Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems |
title_sort |
spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems |
publisher |
Copernicus Publications |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/48618 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/2349/2009/hess-13-2349-2009.html https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valleys polar desert Victoria Land |
op_relation |
Barrett, J. E., Gooseff, M. N., and Takacs-Vesbach, C.: Spatial variation in soil active-layer geochemistry across hydrologic margins in polar desert ecosystems, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2349-2358, doi:10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009, 2009. 1027-5606 http://hdl.handle.net/10919/48618 http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/13/2349/2009/hess-13-2349-2009.html https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009 |
op_rights |
In Copyright http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-13-2349-2009 |
container_title |
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
2349 |
op_container_end_page |
2358 |
_version_ |
1799469737106735104 |