Intensity and spatio-temporal variability of chemical denudation in an arctic-oceanic periglacial drainage basin in northernmost Swedish Lapland

Abstract

The intensity and spatio-temporal variability of chemical denudation was analyzed in the Latnjavagge drainage basin (9 km2; 950–1440 m a.s.l.; 68°20′N, 18°30′E), an arctic–oceanic periglacial environment in northernmost Swedish Lapland. Data on daily runoff and solute concentrations at different test sites within the selected representative drainage basin were collected during the entire arctic summer seasons of 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. The mean annual chemical denudation net rate for the Latnjavagge drainage basin is 5.4 t/km2 yr. Most of the annual runoff occurs when the ground is still frozen. The rate in Latnjavagge is much lower than chemical denudation rates reported for Kärkevagge (Swedish Lapland) situated close to Latnjavagge, but at a similar level to a number of other subarctic, arctic and alpine environments. Chemical denudation shows a spatio-temporal variability within the drainage basin, which is mainly caused by a spatio-temporal variability of snow cover and ground frost and a spatial variability of regolith thicknesses within Latnjavagge.