Spatial features of the chemical composition of Thala Hills surface snow, East Antarctica

Abstract

Despite the great interest in the study of the chemical composition of the surface snow cover in Antarctica, the knowledge of the Enderby Land area remains extremely limited. In the Vecherny Oasis, where the construction of the Belarusian Antarctic Research Station has been carried out since 2015, the study of the chemical composition of the surface snow began in 2012 in preparation for the Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation. Its continuation is due to the need to assess the consequences of the construction and operation of the station in accordance with the requirements of the Antarctic Treaty Protocol on Environmental Protection.Snow samples were taken from 2012 to 2019 during the seasonal Belarusian Antarctic expeditions. Sampling was carried out from the surface horizons, which characterize the annual snow fallout. Chemical analytical studies were performed using standard methods. A total of 144 samples of snow water were analyzed.The aim of the study is to characterize the chemical composition of the surface snow of the Vecherny Oasis (and of the Thala Hills as a whole) to identify the areas of anthropogenic impact and trends in its change.The data on the main ions content in the surface snow, the value of pH and electrical conductivity, as well as the variabilities of the main indicators are presented. It is shown that the snow water of the Vecherny Oasis is very low-mineralized, with the sum of ions in the range of 1,04–57,3 mg/l (average — 7,4 mg/l), the values of electrical conductivity — 2,7–85,1 µS/cm (10,7 µS/cm). The snow water in most cases is characterized as slightly acidic. The chemical composition of the snow water and its mineralization is determined mainly by the content of chlorides and sodium ions. The high variability of the indicators of snow water hydrochemical composition within the areas of former and current human activities, as well as the increased content of sulfate ions, is considered to be indicative of anthropogenic impact.