Hydrochemical composition of thermokarst lake waters in the permafrost zone of western Siberia within the context of climate change

Abstract

Abstract. This work describes the current state of thaw lake and pond ecosystems, the mechanisms of their formation and succession, which was assessed via field work during several summer campaigns, and the laboratory analysis of water samples that were collected in the northern part of western Siberia within continuous and discontinuous permafrost zones. We analyzed the elemental chemical composition of lake waters as a function of lake diameter, over more than two orders of magnitude of the lake size, and described the peculiarities of the elemental composition of the thermokarst water body ecosystem during various stages of lake development. We revealed significant correlations between Fe, Al and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and various chemical elements across a latitude gradient of approximately 900 km. Several groups of chemical elements were distinguished that reflect the dynamic succession of the studied area of water bodies. Combining the data of the studied latitude profile with the information available in the current literature demonstrated that the average dissolved elemental concentrations in lakes of different size ranges exhibit specific dependencies on the latitude position, which is presumably linked to (1) leaching of the elements from frozen peat, which is the main source of solutes in thermokarst lakes, (2) marine atmospheric aerosol depositions, notably at the proximity to the sea border, and (3) short-range industrial pollution of certain metals from the largest Russian arctic smelter. We discuss the evolution of thermokarst lake chemical compositions during their formation and drainage and foresee the consequences of climate warming and permafrost thaw on the hydrochemistry of the thaw lakes and ponds of western Siberia.