Review: Impacts of permafrost degradation on inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water

doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2017.11.017

Global and Planetary Change

Volume 162, March 2018, Pages 69-83

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2017.11.017 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
Permafrost degradation impacts inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water globally
•
Spatially-distributed modifications after pervasive permafrost degradation
•
Local release of major ions and trace elements from thermokarst and rock glaciers
•
Further release of solutes can be expected under warming climatic conditions.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that climate change is impacting the inorganic chemical characteristics of surface fresh water in permafrost areas and affecting aquatic ecosystems. Concentrations of major ions (e.g., Ca^2 +, Mg^2 +, SO₄^2 -, NO^3-) can increase following permafrost degradation with associated deepening of flow pathways and increased contributions of deep groundwater. In addition, thickening of the active layer and melting of near-surface ground ice can influence inorganic chemical fluxes from permafrost into surface water. Permafrost degradation has also the capability to modify trace element (e.g., Ni, Mn, Al, Hg, Pb) contents in surface water. Although several local and regional modifications of inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water have been attributed to permafrost degradation, a comprehensive review of the observed changes is lacking. The goal of this paper is to distil insight gained across differing permafrost settings through the identification of common patterns in previous studies, at global scale. In this review we focus on three typical permafrost configurations (pervasive permafrost degradation, thermokarst, and thawing rock glaciers) as examples and distinguish impacts on (i) major ions and (ii) trace elements. Consequences of warming climate have caused spatially-distributed progressive increases of major ion and trace element delivery to surface fresh water in both polar and mountain areas following pervasive permafrost degradation. Moreover, localised releases of major ions and trace elements to surface water due to the liberation of soluble materials sequestered in permafrost and ground ice have been found in ice-rich terrains both at high latitude (thermokarst features) and high elevation (rock glaciers). Further release of solutes and related transport to surface fresh water can be expected under warming climatic conditions. However, complex interactions among several factors able to influence the timing and magnitude of the impacts of permafrost degradation on inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water (e.g., permafrost sensitivity to thawing, modes of permafrost degradation, characteristics of watersheds) require further conceptual and mechanistic understanding together with quantitative diagnosis of the involved mechanisms in order to predict future changes with confidence.

Introduction

Average atmospheric temperature has increased globally over the last decades and, as a response, the cryosphere is changing (Fountain et al., 2012). Permafrost, a component of the cryosphere, is widespread in the Arctic and Antarctica, and in cold mountains, including densely populated areas of the European Alps and Asian mountain ranges (Gruber, 2012). Permafrost interacts with climate (Walter Anthony et al., 2006, Schuur et al., 2015), hydrology (e.g., Liljedahl et al., 2016, Yang et al., 2017), ecosystems (Jorgenson et al., 2001, Vonk et al., 2015), geophysical processes (e.g., Gruber et al., 2004, Gruber and Haeberli, 2009), and human systems (Nelson et al., 2002, Harris et al., 2009).

Recent reviews have focused on the impacts of permafrost warming and degradation on river biogeochemistry (Frey and McClelland, 2009) and aquatic ecosystems (Vonk et al., 2015) in the Arctic. Notwithstanding, local and regional modifications of water hydrochemistry due to permafrost degradation have been reported from many locations, globally. Given the sparsity of data available, understanding and analysing permafrost degradation impacts on inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water will benefit from identifying common patterns in existing studies. The present review thus aims to distil insight gained across differing permafrost environments and configurations globally.

Following a brief background section, we distinguish three typical example configurations of permafrost thaw. For those, we review impacts of permafrost degradation on major ions (e.g., Ca^2 +, Mg^2 +, SO₄^2 −, NO₃⁻) and on trace elements (e.g., Ni, Mn, Al, Hg, Pb).

Section snippets

Permafrost: definition and main characteristics

Permafrost is defined as ground (soil and/or rock, including ice and organic material, plus air/gas in unsaturated ground) that remains at or below 0 °C for at least two consecutive years (Muller, 1943). Thus, permafrost is a thermal phenomenon and it can, but does not need to, contain water or ice. Most permafrost areas experience seasonal thaw, during which ground surface temperature rises above 0 °C. The layer of ground that thaws on a seasonal basis is called “active layer” (ACGR, 1988). The

Typical configurations of permafrost thaw

We focus on three typical configurations in which permafrost degradation can impact the inorganic chemistry of water bodies. While not exhaustive, these examples currently reflect major interests in this research field:

i).
Pervasive permafrost degradation, leading to spatially-distributed modifications in groundwater-surface water connectivity and causing volumes of permafrost to thaw and become subject to weathering and leaching;
ii).
thermokarst and associated localised mobilisations of sediments and

Pervasive permafrost degradation

A strong divergence of inorganic solute concentrations between catchments with differing permafrost extents has been reported, whereby lower concentrations are associated with higher permafrost extent. This has been attributed to permafrost (a) inhibiting the infiltration of surface water into deep mineral soil strata, and (b) confining mineral-rich groundwater in the subpermafrost zone without hydrological connection to surface water (Frey and McClelland, 2009, Woo, 2012, Kane et al., 2013).

Pervasive permafrost degradation

Although several studies dealt with the analysis of trace element concentrations in surface fresh water in cold areas, especially in the boreal and sub-Arctic regions (e.g., Rember and Trefry, 2004, Voss et al., 2015), researches devoted to the investigation of the links with permafrost dynamics are rare and mainly based on short time series. Typically, mobilisation of trace elements to surface water during early spring is attributed to snowmelt when precipitation that has accumulated during

Research perspectives

Several studies report major ion distribution in near-surface permafrost, finding increasing concentrations at the top of permafrost, generally corresponding with ice-rich layers. However, relatively few researches have combined geochemical analyses on changing near-surface permafrost and resulting effects on surface-water characteristics. Performing combined investigations may provide insight into the relationship between concentrations of major ions in near-surface permafrost and

Conclusion

This review of permafrost-thaw impacts on inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water has revealed several common patterns.

Spatially-distributed progressive increases of major ion delivery to surface fresh water have been reported in both polar and mountain areas following permafrost degradation. This is the result of increasing contributions of highly mineralised groundwater and enhanced interactions of soil water with deep mineral strata. Localised releases of major ions to surface water due

Acknowledgments

Nicola Colombo and Franco Salerno equally contributed to this paper. We greatly acknowledge the critical proof reading by Renée Leduc and Carina Schuh, and the valuable suggestions provided by Christopher Burn (Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada). Two anonymous reviewers provided valuable feedback and input during the review of this manuscript.

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Review: Impacts of permafrost degradation on inorganic chemistry of surface fresh water

Highlights

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Permafrost: definition and main characteristics

Typical configurations of permafrost thaw

Pervasive permafrost degradation

Pervasive permafrost degradation

Research perspectives

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Chem. Geol.

Quat. Res.

Geomorphology

Geomorphology

Chem. Geol.

Sci. Total Environ.

Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

Geomorphology

Geomorphology

Chem. Geol.

Quat. Res.

Earth Sci. Rev.

Chem. Geol.

Chem. Geol.

Patterns and persistence of hydrologic carbon and nutrient export from collapsing upland permafrost

Biogeosciences

Glossary of Permafrost and Related Ground Ice Terms. Permafrost Subcommittee

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Permafr. Periglac. Process.

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Rockglaciers: Indicators for the Present and Former Geoecology in High Mountain Environments

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Geophys. Res. Lett.

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Ann. Glaciol.

Groundwater contributions to discharge in a permafrost setting, Big Fish River, N.W.T., Canada

Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res.

Mechanisms linking active rock glaciers and impounded surface water formation in high-mountain areas

Earth Surf. Process. Landf.

The hydrological significance of rock glaciers

J. Glaciol.

Brief communication: “an inventory of permafrost evidence for the European Alps”

Cryosphere

Spatial and temporal assessment of mercury and organic matter in thermokarst affected lakes of the Mackenzie Delta Uplands, NT, Canada

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Hydrol. Process.

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