Hypersaline Gradients in Two Canadian High Arctic Lakes

Stewart, Kenton M.; Platford, R. F.

doi:10.1139/f86-223

Cited by 28 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Nutrient data obtained for the surface waters of the lakes during August 1994 were similar to these earlier ranges and are likely to be a reasonable guide to the nutrient conditions at the time of sampling in August 1995: TP concentrations were 8.4 (Char), 7.3 (North), and 7.1 (Meretta) g P liter Ϫ1 ; DRP concentrations were Ͻ0.2 (Char), 0.2 (North), and 0.3 (Meretta) g P liter Ϫ1 ; and TN concentrations were 89 (Char), 54 (North), and 200 (Meretta) g N liter Ϫ1 . Although there is extensive literature on the geology and chemistry of the two meromictic lakes (e.g., Stewart and Platford 1986;Ouellet et al 1987Ouellet et al , 1989, little is known about their biology.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon fixation by phytoplankton in high Arctic lakes: Implications of low temperature for photosynthesis

Markager

Vincent

Tang

1999

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Photosynthesis vs. irradiance relationships were determined for phytoplankton communities from seven lakes in the Canadian high Arctic, including ultraoligotrophic Char Lake, nutrient-enriched Meretta Lake, and two meromictic lakes. The derived photosynthetic parameters were low for all samples, with a mean (ϮSD) light-saturated photosynthetic rate (P ) of 0.46 (Ϯ0.28) g C g Ϫ1 chlorophyll a (Chl a) h Ϫ1 and a mean ␣ B (light-limitation parameter) parameters for phytoplankton in Arctic and Antarctic lakes are three-to sixfold lower than for marine algae, ice algae, and cultures over the same low-temperature range. This may be the result of more severe nutrient stress in high-latitude lakes relative to polar marine environments and to the persistence of nonactive pigments in cold freshwaters.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon fixation by phytoplankton in high Arctic lakes: Implications of low temperature for photosynthesis

Markager

Vincent

Tang

1999

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Further south, three additional meromictic lakes have been described, Sophia Lake on Cornwallis Island, Garrow Lake on Little Cornwallis Island (Pag6 et al, 1984;Pag~ et al, 1987;Stewart & Platford, 1986) and Romulus Lake on the Fosheim Peninsula (Davidge, 1994). Their sharp chemoclines and strongly hypersaline monimolimnia were distinctly different from the same features in most of the more northerly lakes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The comparative limnology of high arctic, coastal, meromictic lakes

Ludlam

1996

J Paleolimnol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Five important features appear in rough order from the surface downwards in physical and chemical profiles from high arctic coastal meromictic lakes. These features are: (1) a supersaturated oxygen maximum, (2) the center of the oxycline, (3) a thermal maximum, (4) a major absorption maximum, and (5) an anoxic stratum. The depth of the absorption maxima and the top of the anoxic strata are both statistically correlated to light penetration and to each other. The depth of the thermal maximum also shows a statistical correlation to light penetration among lakes with a relatively shallow chemocline. The temperature of the thermal maximum appears to be maintained by inputs of light energy while the oxygen maximum is maintained to a large extent by photosynthesis. Thus, these major features are all influenced by light penetration. With the exception of the supersaturated oxygen maximum, all of the above features are dependent for their existence upon the primary chemocline stabilizing the water column. Apparently, in at least some lakes, a near surface secondary chemocline or cool (ca. 4 ~ secondary inverse thermocline will enhance the stability of the water column above the primary chemocline sufficiently to allow a supersaturated oxygen maximum to develop in this region. However, the supersaturated oxygen maximum can extend into the primary chemocline, and in highly transparent Sophia Lake (Cornwallis Island, N.W.T.) this feature extends below the primary chemocline.Where the chemocline is found below depths with adequate illumination, features other than the supersaturated oxygen maximum should be found in deeper water as well, or they should be eliminated from the profiles. Thus, where the chemocline is relatively shallow, the depth of features like the thermal maximum or anoxic strata are related most closely to light penetration, but where chemoclines are deep, as in Lake Tuborg (Ellesmere Island, N.W.T.), the depth of the chemocline determines the depth of the oxycline, thermal maximum, absorption maximum and anoxic stratum.

show abstract

“…After isolation, lakes may become entirely freshwater under certain hydrological and morphological conditions. hypersaline Lake Garrow (88, Stewart and Platford 1986) and Lake Romulus (71, Van Hove et al 2006). Conversely, if ice is formed from a freshwater epilimnion, due to lateseason terrestrial input, brine rejection will be minimal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the permafrost forms, rejected salt migrates to lake basins through sublacustrine taliks (Pagé et al 1984(Pagé et al , 1987. Therefore, all sufficiently large coastal lakes in the Arctic Archipelago should experience high-conductivity bottom waters (Stewart and Platford 1986). In some freshwater lakes, the annual formation of enriched conductivity water at depth has been noted (Van Hove et al 2006;Besonen et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the ice pan freezes, salt is rejected from between the ice crystals, and exuded back into the ambient water. Over time, rejected brine is mixed with the lower water column and becomes concentrated with each successive cycle (Stewart and Platford 1986). The second mechanism for saline intrusion is through brine rejection due to the formation of subsurface permafrost around a lake basin during isostatic emergence.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The chemical development of a hypersaline coastal basin in the High Arctic

Dugan

Lamoureux

2011

Limnology & Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We investigated a hypersaline, seasonally isolated marine basin (SIMB) in the Canadian High Arctic to elucidate the role of brine rejection, tidal forcing, and groundwater input over the formation of hypersalinity. Analyses of physical parameters and seasonal sampling of ionic and isotopic composition were carried out on a coastal basin near Shellabear Point, Melville Island, Northwest Territories (75uN, 113uW). Observations reveal daily and seasonal variability in the water column due to a seasonal tidal connection during the ice-free season, which lasts substantially longer than the period of freshwater inflow from the catchment. An ice formation model of the volume of brine rejected from surface ice formed from marine water indicates that rapid saline enrichment of the basin due to ice formation is possible from tidally replenished marine water, and that the current hypersalinity may have formed in less than a decade. Modeled isotopic composition of brines are consistent with observations and provide an alternative to freshwater isotopic dilution suggested by other workers. A tidal connection is a critical consideration in lake evolution, and many hypersaline polar lakes could have developed their current chemical composition before full marine isolation. By contrast, in some coastal lakes, marine stratification caused by ice shelves before isolation provides a setting for minimal brine formation and subsequent meromictic conditions to develop. Hence, the marine setting at the time of isolation represents a key factor in explaining divergent lake chemical evolution in the High Arctic.

show abstract

Hypersaline Gradients in Two Canadian High Arctic Lakes

Cited by 28 publications

References 17 publications

Carbon fixation by phytoplankton in high Arctic lakes: Implications of low temperature for photosynthesis

Carbon fixation by phytoplankton in high Arctic lakes: Implications of low temperature for photosynthesis

The comparative limnology of high arctic, coastal, meromictic lakes

The chemical development of a hypersaline coastal basin in the High Arctic

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About