The impacts of thawing permafrost on the chemistry of lakes across the subarctic boreal‐tundra transition, Mackenzie Delta region, Canada

Abstract

AbstractIn the lake‐rich tundra uplands east of the Mackenzie Delta, almost one in ten lakes has been affected by retrogressive thaw slumping. In this study, we assessed water chemistry for 34 slump‐affected and 39 undisturbed upland lakes across this region and found that environmental factors typically evoked to explain variation in tundra lake water quality including surficial geology and proximity to the treeline or coast were subordinate to the main driver, permafrost degradation. Thaw slump‐affected lakes had elevated ionic concentrations and water clarity in comparison with undisturbed lakes. The strength of the ionic impact was positively associated with the proportion of catchment affected by slumping and inversely related to disturbance age. Slumping did not have a significant effect on total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations, although water clarity increased significantly with decreasing age of disturbance. In lakes undisturbed by slumping, fire‐induced active‐layer deepening had a detectable influence on lake water ionic strength. Surficial deposits influenced TOC concentrations with the highest concentrations and colour in undisturbed lakes with lacustrine catchments. In a warming Arctic, thermokarst processes may increase in importance as a driver of ionic chemistry and optical properties of small lakes and ponds, and shifts in aquatic food webs can be anticipated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada.