Abstract
We present a thorough evaluation of the water soluble fraction of the trace element composition (Ca, Sr, Mg, Na, K, Li, B, Rb, U, Ni, Co, As, Cs, Cd, Mo, Se, Eu, Ba, V, Ge, Ga, Cr, Cr, P, Ti, Mn, Zr, Ce, Zn, Fe, Gd, Y, Pb, Bi, Yb, Al, Nb, Er, Nd, Dy, Sm, Ho, Th, La, Lu, Tm, Pr, Tb, Fe, In, Tl) and their fluxes in the annual snowpack and the firn of the Hansbreen (a tidewater glacier terminating in the Hornsund fjord, southwest Spitsbergen). The trace element samples were obtained from a 3 m deep snow pit dug at the plateau of the glacier (450 m a.s.l.), and from a 2 m deep firn core collected from the bottom of the snow pit. The comparison of elemental fluxes and enrichment factors allowed us to constrain specific summer and wintertime deposition patterns of water soluble trace elements in the southern part of the Svalbard archipelago. Our results suggest that the chemical composition of the Hansbreen (and likely other glaciers where the summit is close to the equilibrium line) is mainly affected by summertime deposition of trace elements from local sources and some volatile elements, which may be transported into the Arctic when polar vortex is weak. The melting of the annual snowpack seems to have a minor influence on the overall chemical signature of the glacier ice.
Highlights
The climate of the Svalbard archipelago is characterized by a marked thermal gap between summer and winter periods (Maturilli et al, 2013)
Considering the moderate altitude of the summit of the Hansbreen (500 m a.s.l) and the glacier equilibrium line (370 m a.s.l., Laska et al, 2016) (Schuler et al, 2020), this study provides an important piece of information evaluating the effect of the annual snow pack chemical composition on the glacier firn trace element abundance in a low elevation Svalbard glacier
Assuming that Na is primarily derived from sea spray aerosols (Rhodes et al, 2018) and using the average elemental concentration in seawater (Millero et al, 2008), we can distinguish the elements with predominant sea spray contribution from those that are mainly of crustal origin (Table 1 and Supplementary Material)
Summary
The climate of the Svalbard archipelago is characterized by a marked thermal gap between summer and winter periods (Maturilli et al, 2013). As previously reported by Siudek et al (2015), the major sources of trace elements are associated with natural processes (rock weathering, mineralization, dust storm, volcanic eruption), industrial activities have been shown to influence their abundance in the environment. We present the first characterization of the water-soluble fraction of trace elements in the annual snowpack in the Hansbreen, a tidewater glacier terminating in the Hornsund fjord. Considering the moderate altitude of the summit of the Hansbreen (500 m a.s.l) and the glacier equilibrium line (370 m a.s.l., Laska et al, 2016) (Schuler et al, 2020), this study provides an important piece of information evaluating the effect of the annual snow pack chemical composition on the glacier firn trace element abundance in a low elevation Svalbard glacier. The elements have been order based on the relative sea spray contribution in the snow samples
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