Oxygen dynamics in permafrost thaw lakes: Anaerobic bioreactors in the Canadian subarctic

Abstract

AbstractPermafrost thaw lakes occur in high abundance across the subarctic landscape but little is known about their limnological dynamics. This study was undertaken to evaluate the hourly, seasonal, and depth variations in oxygen concentration in three thaw lakes in northern Quebec, Canada, across contrasting permafrost regimes (isolated, sporadic, and discontinuous). All lakes were well stratified in summer despite their shallow depths (2.7–4.0 m), with hypoxic or anoxic bottom waters. Continuous automated measurements in each of the lakes showed a period of water column oxygenation over several weeks in fall followed by bottom‐water anoxia soon after ice‐up. Anoxic conditions extended to shallower depths (1 m) over the course of winter, beginning 18–137 d after ice formation, depending on the lake. Full water column anoxia extended over 33–75% of the annual record. There was a brief period of incomplete spring mixing with partial or no reoxygenation of the bottom waters in each lake. Conductivity measurements showed the build‐up of solutes in the bottom waters, and the resultant density increase contributed to the resistance to full mixing in spring. These observations indicate the prevalence of stratified conditions throughout most of the year and underscore the importance of the fall mixing period for gas exchange with the atmosphere. Given the long duration of anoxia, subarctic thaw lakes represent an ideal environment for anaerobic processes such as methane production. The intermittent oxygenation also favors intense methanotrophy and aerobic bacterial decomposition processes.