Effect of glacial drainage water on the <scp>CO</scp><sub>2</sub> system and ocean acidification state in an <scp>A</scp>rctic tidewater‐glacier fjord during two contrasting years

Fransson, Agneta; Chierici, Melissa; Nomura, Daïki; Granskog, Mats A.; Kristiansen, Svein; Martma, Tõnu; Nehrke, Gernot

doi:10.1002/2014jc010320

Cited by 74 publications

(177 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Kongsfjorden has a similar physical marine environment as another west Spitsbergen fjord, Tempelfjorden, with the inflow of TAW and influence of glacial freshwater drainage from tide-water glaciers. In Tempelfjorden, Fransson et al (2015) observed higher A T in the freshwater source water in a warmer year (2012) with larger freshwater content in the fjord (1142 lmol kg -1 ) compared with a colder winter (2013) when there was less freshwater content (526 lmol kg -1 ). Higher A T in freshwater is likely due to the supply of carbonate-rich glacial drainage water originating from calcite and dolomite minerals from the bedrock.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…The high X a in summer was likely an effect of biological CO 2 uptake. Previous studies have shown that the increased X, because of biological CO 2 uptake during photosynthesis, counteracts decreases in X due to freshwater supply (Chierici and Fransson 2009;Chierici et al 2011;Fransson et al 2015). To investigate the net effect of these two processes, we inspected the influence of freshening due to addition of glacial water on the OA state at the glacier front, where the freshening signal is most pronounced.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To investigate the net effect of these two processes, we inspected the influence of freshening due to addition of glacial water on the OA state at the glacier front, where the freshening signal is most pronounced. The effect of freshwater addition (calculated as fractions of freshwater) on X a (and X c ) in Kongsfjorden was estimated by applying the formulation of the linear relation between X a and freshwater fraction derived from a study in Tempelfjorden, another west Spitsbergen fjord (Fransson et al 2015), which showed a 0.07 decrease in X a for each 1 % increase in the freshwater fraction (Fig. 5).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The same processes that result in low pH and low carbonate ion concentrations in the Arctic Ocean also affect Arctic fjords. Freshwater supply from glacial drainage water has been shown to affect the carbonate chemistry in Arctic fjords (Sejr et al 2011;Fransson et al 2015) causing a decrease in X with increased freshwater supply, particularly during winter (Fransson et al 2015). Fjords with tidal glaciers, such as Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen, are affected by plumes of glacial meltwater and subglacial melt at the glacier front, which induces upwelling of relatively fresh water to the surface or near surface (e.g., Svendsen et al 2002;Lydersen et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The upwelled fresh water supplies the surface waters with nutrients which may increase primary production (if light is not limited by high concentrations of sediments in the surface water) and produce favorable feeding conditions for seabirds and sea mammals (Apollonio 1973;Lydersen et al 2014). Decreased fugacity of CO 2 (fCO 2 ) and increases in X due to primary production (i.e., biological carbon uptake) have been observed in summer near glacier fronts in Arctic fjords (Sejr et al 2011;Fransson et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Late winter-to-summer change in ocean acidification state in Kongsfjorden, with implications for calcifying organisms

et al. 2016

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Late winter-to-summer changes (April to July) in ocean acidification state, calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) saturation for aragonite (X a ) and calcite (X c ) and biogeochemical properties were investigated in 2013 and 2014 in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. We investigated physical (salinity, temperature) and chemical (carbonate system, nutrient) properties in the water column from the glacier front in the fjord to the west Spitsbergen shelf. The average range of X a in the upper 50 m in the fjord in winter was 1.59-1.74 and in summer 1.65-2.66. The lowest X a (1.5) was close to the reported critical threshold for aragonite-forming organisms such as the pteropod Limacina helicina. In summer 2013, X a , pH T and salinity were generally lower than in 2014 as a result of a larger influence of high-CO 2 water from the coastal current and less Atlantic water. The inner fjord was influenced by glacial water in summer which decreased X a by 0.7. Biological CO 2 consumption based on a winter-to summer decrease in nitrate was larger in 2014 than in 2013, suggesting more primary production in 2014. The influence of freshwater decreased X a by the same amount as the biological effect increased X a . The seasonal increase in temperature only played a minor role on the increase of X a . The biological effect showed more inter-annual variability than the effect of freshwater. Based on this study, we suggest that changes in the inflow of different water masses and freshwater directly influence ocean acidification state, but also indirectly affect the biological drivers of carbonate chemistry in the fjord.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Late winter-to-summer change in ocean acidification state in Kongsfjorden, with implications for calcifying organisms

et al. 2016

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Simulated Impact of Glacial Runoff on CO₂ Uptake in the Gulf of Alaska

Pilcher

Siedlecki

Hermann

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) receives substantial summer freshwater runoff from glacial meltwater. The alkalinity of this runoff is highly dependent on the glacial source and can modify the coastal carbon cycle. We use a regional ocean biogeochemical model to simulate CO2 uptake in the GOA under different alkalinity‐loading scenarios. The GOA is identified as a current net sink of carbon, though low‐alkalinity tidewater glacial runoff suppresses summer coastal carbon uptake. Our model shows that increasing the alkalinity generates an increase in annual CO2 uptake of 1.9–2.7 TgC/yr. This transition is comparable to a projected change in glacial runoff composition (i.e., from tidewater to land‐terminating) due to continued climate warming. Our results demonstrate an important local carbon‐climate feedback that can significantly increase coastal carbon uptake via enhanced air‐sea exchange, with potential implications to the coastal ecosystems in glaciated areas around the world.

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The Importance of Freshwater to Spatial Variability of Aragonite Saturation State in the Gulf of Alaska

et al. 2017

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High‐latitude and subpolar regions like the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) are more vulnerable than equatorial regions to rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, in part due to local processes that amplify the global signal. Recent field observations have shown that the shelf of the GOA is currently experiencing seasonal corrosive events (carbonate mineral saturation states Ω, Ω < 1), including suppressed Ω in response to ocean acidification as well as local processes like increased low‐alkalinity glacial meltwater discharge. While the glacial discharge mainly influences the inner shelf, on the outer shelf, upwelling brings corrosive waters from the deep GOA. In this work, we develop a high‐resolution model for carbon dynamics in the GOA, identify regions of high variability of Ω, and test the sensitivity of those regions to changes in the chemistry of glacial meltwater discharge. Results indicate the importance of this climatically sensitive and relatively unconstrained regional freshwater forcing for Ω variability in the nearshore. The increase was nearly linear at 0.002 Ω per 100 µmol/kg increase in alkalinity in the freshwater runoff. We find that the local winds, biological processes, and freshwater forcing all contribute to the spatial distribution of Ω and identify which of these three is highly correlated to the variability in Ω. Given that the timing and magnitude of these processes will likely change during the next few decades, it is critical to elucidate the effect of local processes on the background ocean acidification signal using robust models, such as the one described here.

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Effect of glacial drainage water on the CO₂ system and ocean acidification state in an Arctic tidewater‐glacier fjord during two contrasting years

Cited by 74 publications

References 48 publications

Late winter-to-summer change in ocean acidification state in Kongsfjorden, with implications for calcifying organisms

Late winter-to-summer change in ocean acidification state in Kongsfjorden, with implications for calcifying organisms

Simulated Impact of Glacial Runoff on CO₂ Uptake in the Gulf of Alaska

The Importance of Freshwater to Spatial Variability of Aragonite Saturation State in the Gulf of Alaska

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Effect of glacial drainage water on the CO2 system and ocean acidification state in an Arctic tidewater‐glacier fjord during two contrasting years

Cited by 74 publications

References 48 publications

Late winter-to-summer change in ocean acidification state in Kongsfjorden, with implications for calcifying organisms

Late winter-to-summer change in ocean acidification state in Kongsfjorden, with implications for calcifying organisms

Simulated Impact of Glacial Runoff on CO2 Uptake in the Gulf of Alaska

The Importance of Freshwater to Spatial Variability of Aragonite Saturation State in the Gulf of Alaska

Contact Info

Product

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Effect of glacial drainage water on the CO₂ system and ocean acidification state in an Arctic tidewater‐glacier fjord during two contrasting years

Simulated Impact of Glacial Runoff on CO₂ Uptake in the Gulf of Alaska