Mercury Deposition in a Polar Desert Ecosystem

Abstract

Trace metals have received considerable attention in the recent decades due to their potential toxic nature. Glacial snow and ice have been used extensively to elucidate historical changes in the atmospheric composition of trace metals and other compounds. Mercury concentrations in Antarctic ice have described changes in atmospheric mercury deposition during the transition from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene, however the record of modern mercury deposition in Antarctica is limited. Here we present a record of net mercury deposition to Antarctic snow over the past two decades. Over decadal periods, mercury is conserved in the snowpack and is dependent on a regional oceanic source. Annual to subannual mercury concentrations in snow are to some extent preserved and show covariance with marine aerosols as evidenced by calcium concentrations. Aeolian inputs from exposed rock and soil also play a critical role in depositing mercury to Antarctic snow. Such identifications along with previous data illustrate that mercury transport directly from the glaciers may account for 25-65% of the total mercury concentration in proglacial streams and the surface waters of perennially ice-covered lakes.