No abstract

We studied 46 small, drainless lakes in various landscape types: The sub-taiga (Vasyugan plain), forest–steppe (Baraba lowland), and steppe and subzone of ribbon forests (Kulunda plain). Sampling of lake components (sediments, water, and biota) was performed. The materials were analyzed via a combination of modern analytical methods (atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry). It was found that in the south of Western Siberia, lakes with a bicarbonate-sodium water composition are widespread against the background of general landscape zoning. This composition contributes to the abundant growth of biota in the lakes, which leads to the processes of authigenic carbonate formation from calcite–dolomite series and aragonite on geochemical barriers, i.e., drifting biota–water, submerged biota–water, and water–bottom sediments against a background of terrigenous demolition and organic matter accumulation. The article shows the differences in the composition and structure of low-temperature carbonate minerals formed on various geochemical barriers. It was found that low-magnesium calcite and aragonite are the most common authigenic carbonates in small lakes in the south of Western Siberia and are formed on all three geochemical barriers in lakes. High-magnesium calcites and Ca-excess dolomites are formed only at the water–bottom sediment barrier in lakes with HCO3–Na and Cl–HCO3–Na water composition at pH > 9 and with a total dissolved solids > 3 g·L−1 (in some lakes of HCO3-Na composition with a TDS < 3 g·L−1 and pH > 9).

—A quantitative assessment of the fractionation of elements during sedimentation is made based on long-term comprehensive studies with the participation of geochemists, hydrobiologists, soil scientists, and chemists. Analytical studies of the chemical composition of water, soil, bottom sediments, and biota were carried out at the Center for Collective Use of Scientific Equipment for Multielement and Isotope Studies and at the Institute of Catalysis, Novosibirsk. Based on a mineralogical and geochemical approach, we chose lakes with different types of biogenetic formation and different classes of organomineral sediments and performed detailed studies of the relationship between the organic and mineral parts of the sediments. It has been established that the organomineral sediments of different classes and biogenetic types of formation differ not only in the contents of major elements (Si, Ca, C, and O) but also in the group composition of organic matter. The direct effect of the transformation of organic matter on the mineral composition of bottom sediments has been revealed. The contents of other elements vary in a narrow range of values. At the same time, the difference in the contents of elements between organomineral sediments of different types and classes is comparable with their difference within a class. The leading role in the formation of the geochemical and mineral compositions of the organomineral sediments of small lakes belongs to intricate biological, biochemical, and physicochemical processes depending mainly on azonal factors and occurring under prolonged freezing-up (anaerobic conditions).