Hydrologic functions of wetlands in a discontinuous permafrost basin indicated by isotopic and chemical signatures

Abstract

The hydrology of subarctic, discontinuous permafrost regions is sensitive to the effects of climatic warming, because pronounced changes in water storage and runoff pathways could occur with small additional ground heating. The objective of this study is to understand the hydrologic functions of unique land-cover types in this region (channel fens, flat bogs, and peat plateaus) using isotopic and chemical signatures of surface and subsurface water, as well as hydrometric measurements. The study was conducted in a 152-km 2 basin of Scotty Creek, located in the central part of the Mckenzie River basin in northern Canada. The headwater of Scotty Creek, Goose Lake had a strongly enriched isotopic composition due to evaporation. The stream water composition changed downstream, as the lateral drainage from the active layer of peat plateaus contributed isotopically light and chemically dilute water to channel fens that are part of the drainage network. Flat bogs received drainage from peat plateau in addition to direct precipitation, and were internally drained or drained water to adjacent channel fens. Average evapotranspiration estimated from the chloride-balance method was 280–300 mm/yr, which was consistent with the hydrometric estimate (precipitation minus runoff) of 275 mm/yr indicating a potential applicability of this method to ungauged basins. Tracer-based hydrograph separation showed that the direct snowmelt contribution to spring runoff was less than half of total discharge, suggesting an importance of the water stored over winter in lakes and wetlands. The total amount of water stored over winter in the basin was estimated to be 140–240 mm, which was comparable to the average annual basin discharge (149 mm).