Dr Łukasz Stachnik and mgr Piotr Kenis with publication in the prestigious journal the Science of Total Environment
Dr Łukasz Stachnik and mgr Piotr Kenis from the Institute of Geography and Regional Development, published an article entitled: “SEM-EDS and water chemistry characteristics at the early stages of glacier recession reveal biogeochemical coupling between proglacial sediments and meltwater” in The Science of The Total Environment, which is a prestigious journal in the discipline of Earth and Environmental Sciences (5-year impact factor: 7,963, 200 points according to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education). This work shows the strong influence of physical and chemical transformations (physical and chemical weathering) of preglacial sediments on the chemical composition of glacier drainage waters in the High Arctic (Figure 1). These studies using nanoscale imaging techniques with scanning electron microscopy have indicated that mineral transformation (e.g. carbonate dissolution, iron sulphide oxidation) in the glacier foreland is not only very intense, but also supported by the interplay of physical (i.e. microcrack formation) and chemical (i.e. dissolution) processes.
Furthermore, the results of the article indicate that the sulphuric acid formed by the oxidation of iron sulphides accelerates the weathering of sediments in the glacier foreland and thus supports the release of a significant amount of dissolved material into the glacier waters. This process intensifies the circulation of elements in the polar regions, where today there is a very rapid retreat of glaciers and the associated exposure of the proglacial zone (the area remaining after the glacier recedes). The paper highlights that such a strong sediment-water relationship at the early stages of glacier recession may shape the carbon cycle in this intensely changing natural environment. As a result of accelerated element cycling, significant amounts of bioavailable micro-nutrients (including Fe) are released into the aquatic ecosystem. With the increased loading of these components, there can be an intensification of primary production resulting in the absorption of atmosphericCO2, one of the main greenhouse gases. This article suggests that areas that have undergone modern deglaciation over the last hundred years or so may be very important in this process.
Bibliography
Łukasz Stachnik, Jacob C. Yde, Kazimierz Krzemień, Łukasz Uzarowicz, Sławomir Sitek, Piotr Kenis, 2022. SEM-EDS and water chemistry characteristics at the early stages of glacier recession reveal biogeochemical coupling between proglacial sediments and meltwater, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 835, 155383. Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722024767
