@article {4944, title = {Change at 85 degrees south: Shackleton Glacier region proglacial lakes from 1960 to 2020}, journal = {Annals of Glaciology}, year = {2023}, month = {05/2023}, abstract = {

Over the last two decades, anomalous warming events have been observed in coastal Antarctic regions. While these events have been documented in the Ross Sea sector, the Antarctic interior is believed to have been buffered from warming. In this work, we present data from lakes located near Mt. Heekin and Thanksgiving Valley (~85\° S) along the Shackleton Glacier, which are believed to be the southern-most Antarctic dry valley lakes. In 2018, the lakes were characterized, repeat satellite images were examined, and lake water chemistry was measured. Our analysis shows that lake areas recently increased, and the water-soluble ion chemistry indicates a flushing of salts from periglacial soils, likely from increased glacial melt as illustrated by water isotope data. Our results show that high southern latitude ice-free areas have likely been affected by warm pulses over the past 60 years and these pulses may be quasi-synchronous throughout the Transantarctic Mountains.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, Antarctic glaciology, climate change, meltwater chemistry}, issn = {0260-3055}, doi = {10.1017/aog.2023.27}, url = {https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/annals-of-glaciology/article/change-at-85-degrees-south-shackleton-glacier-region-proglacial-lakes-from-1960-to-2020/565D96AD7AE72BD22C49CCB772867AC4}, author = {Melisa A. Diaz and Christopher B. Gardner and Elliot, David H. and Byron Adams and W. Berry Lyons} } @inbook {4581, title = {Chemical weathering in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica}, booktitle = {Hydrogeology, Chemical Weathering, and Soil Formation}, series = {Geophysical Monograph Series}, number = {257}, year = {2021}, pages = {205-216}, publisher = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, organization = {John Wiley \& Sons, Inc.}, chapter = {11}, address = {Hoboken, NJ}, abstract = {

While chemical weathering has not always been considered an active process in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica, long-term geochemical and hydrological investigations have provided an overall better understanding of chemical weathering in this polar desert environment. Liquid water on the landscape is limited to stream channels as well as shallow subsurface melt features, as there is no overland flow. Stream total suspended sediment loads are low, with the sources of sediment from stream channels, aeolian input, and/or from the surfaces of glaciers. MDV soils contain high concentrations of soluble salts with little clay material, but since absent of water, these soils are a minimal location of chemical weathering. Hyporheic zones exchange water during streamflow, and these areas control the stream geochemistry over various temporal scales. Hyporheic zones promote rapid aluminosilicate weathering by moving dilute glacial meltwater into intimate contact with sediment surfaces. Rapid weathering of the aluminosilicates in the streambed and hyporheic zones is the most plausible explanation for chemostasis observed in these streams, indicating that little to no catchment processes are necessary to explain the observed chemostasis in the MDV. Shallow subsurface waters with distinct geochemical signatures have much higher dissolved Si concentrations than the stream waters and indicate that they are responsible for enhanced aluminosilicate weathering in this polar desert environment. The dissolution of CaCO3 is also a major process in the hyporheic zones as generally the streams are unsaturated with respect to calcite. Cation-exchange reactions are also important in the evolution from Na-Cl brines to Ca-Cl brines within the soil column, while authigenic CaCO3 can both dissolve and precipitate depending on the condition of the system. Recently, stream channel landscapes are changing due to the melting of buried ice, creating thermokarst and water track features, resulting in a sediment and solute influx to the stream.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, aluminosilicate weathering, CaCO3 dissolution/precipitation, chemical weathering, hyporheic zone, McMurdo Dry Valleys}, doi = {10.1002/9781119563952.ch11}, url = {https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9781119563952.ch11}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Leslie, Deborah L. and Michael N. Gooseff}, editor = {Hunt, Allen and Egli, Markus and Faybishenko, Boris} } @article {4027, title = {Ca isotopic geochemistry of an Antarctic aquatic system}, journal = {Geophysical Research Letters}, volume = {44}, year = {2017}, month = {01/2017}, pages = {882 - 891}, abstract = {

The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, are a polar desert ecosystem. The hydrologic system of the dry valleys is linked to climate with ephemeral streams that flow from glacial melt during the austral summer. Past climate variations have strongly influenced the closed-basin, chemically stratified lakes on the valley floor. Results of previous work point to important roles for both in-stream processes (e.g., mineral weathering, precipitation and dissolution of salts) and in-lake processes (e.g., mixing with paleo-seawater and calcite precipitation) in determining the geochemistry of these lakes. These processes have a significant influence on calcium (Ca) biogeochemistry in this aquatic ecosystem, and thus variations in Ca stable isotope compositions of the waters can aid in validating the importance of these processes. We have analyzed the Ca stable isotope compositions of streams and lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The results validate the important roles of weathering of aluminosilicate minerals and/or CaCO3 in the hyporheic zone of the streams, and mixing of lake surface water with paleo-seawater and precipitation of Ca-salts during cryo-concentration events to form the deep lake waters. The lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys evolved following different geochemical pathways, evidenced by their unique, nonsystematic Ca isotope signatures.\ 

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {10.1002/2016GL071169}, url = {http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016GL071169/full}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Bullen, T and Kathleen A. Welch} } @thesis {4083, title = {Comparing the Weathering Environment of Permian and Modern Antarctic Proglacial Lake Sediments: Mineralogical and Geochemical Study}, volume = {B.S.}, year = {2017}, school = {The Ohio State University}, type = {bachelors}, address = {Columbus, OH}, abstract = {

The Antarctic continent has been in a polar to subpolar position since the Permian period. Although it has experienced milder climates over this time period as evidenced by corals in the fossil record, Antarctica did undergo extensive glaciation during the Permian. This is based on the abundance of Permian tillites (sedimentary rocks derived from glacier tills) found in the Transantarctic Mountains. In this research, I have compared Permian age proglacial lake sediments that are associated with tilites to modern proglacial lake siltstones and mudstones from Antarctica. This was done to determine the climate, especially the amount of glacier melt that occurred when these Permian sediments were deposited. The modern lake sediments are deposited in perennially ice-covered lakes by ephemeral streams that only flow 6 to 12 weeks a year. The geochemical analyses of the Permian samples and the modern sediments from Lake Hoare in the McMurdo Dry Valleys suggest that the Permian samples are more highly chemically weathered than the modern sediments. The mineralogy of Lake Hoare sediments contain more primary minerals than chemical weathering produced minerals in the Pagoda Formation rocks, thus supporting the geochemical analysis that the Pagoda Formation minerals have been more weathered. All these data suggest that the Permian lake samples were deposited in a warmer, more hydrogeologically active environment than were the modern lake sediments. These data support previously published sedimentological and paleontological data that the Pagoda samples were deposited under more temperate or warm-based proglacial conditions than what is observed in the McMurdo Dry Valleys today.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/1811/80763}, author = {Brewster, Shelby A.}, editor = {W. Berry Lyons} } @thesis {3200, title = {Chemical Weathering and Mineralogy of McMurdo Dry Valley Streams: Examining the Controls of Current and Future Ephemeral Stream Geochemistry}, volume = {Undergraduate Theses}, year = {2015}, month = {05/2015}, pages = {38}, type = {bachelors}, address = {Ohio State University}, abstract = {

The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the largest ice-free region in Antarctica and are the coldest, driest deserts in the world. But, for approximately 6-12 weeks per year in the austral summer, continuous sunlight and near-freezing temperatures create meltwater streams that descend from the surrounding alpine glaciers. These ephemeral streams are a distinctive feature in the barren dry valley landscape and are important sources of nutrients and solutes from the weathering of streambed and hyporheic zone materials. This setting has been a US National Science Foundation funded Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) project since 1993. A major goal of the McMurdo LTER is to understand how liquid water, the primary limiting condition for life in Antarctica, is affected by climate variability. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are extremely climate-sensitive and even seemingly small variations in temperature can have a drastic effect on hydrological activity. The McMurdo LTER program has been successful in collecting and analyzing a large amount of stream data pertaining to weathering products but, a more comprehensive analysis and interpretation of the data have yet to be undertaken. Assessment of current and future stream geochemistry is critical to predict the impact of increased water flow due to glacier melt and increasing temperature which could greatly influence the ecological function and biologic diversity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Surface sediments were collected at multiple locations from ephemeral streams and analyzed using a scanning electron microscope and x-ray diffraction to determine sediment mineralogy and evidence of chemical weathering. Geochemical reactions were modeled using previously collected stream water data and the USGS PHREEQC software for the speciation calculations and the assessment of the solubility controlling solid phases. Chemical weathering was apparent through visible mineral alteration and the formation of secondary weathering products. Modeling results indicate that stream geochemistry will not significantly be affected by increased water temperature in the future. These results suggest stream geochemistry and chemical weathering may instead be controlled primarily through hydrologic exchange in the hyporheic zone.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/1811/68887}, author = {Scheuermann, Jordan and W. Berry Lyons} } @article {3204, title = {Comparison of arsenic and molybdenum geochemistry in meromictic lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: Implications for oxyanion-forming trace element behavior in permanently stratified lakes}, journal = {Chemical Geology}, volume = {404}, year = {2015}, month = {05/2015}, pages = {110 - 125}, chapter = {110}, abstract = {

Water samples were collected for arsenic (As) and molybdenum (Mo) analysis from different depths in Lakes Hoare and Fryxell, both of which are located in the Taylor Valley within the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Sampling depths within each lake were chosen to capture variations in As and Mo concentrations and As speciation in the oxic mixolimnia and anoxic monimolimnia of these meromictic lakes. Arsenic concentrations ranged from 0.67\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ to 3.54\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ in Lake Hoare and from 1.69\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ to 17.5\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ in Lake Fryxell. Molybdenum concentrations varied between 5.05\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ and 43\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ in Lake Hoare, and between 3.52\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ and 25.5\ nmol\ kg\−\ 1\ in Lake Fryxell. Concentrations of As and Mo generally increased with depth in the mixolimnion of each lake, consistent with uptake near the ice\–water interface by organic particles and/or Fe/Mn oxides/oxyhydroxides, followed by gravitational settling and regeneration/remineralization at depth in the vicinity of the redoxcline. Arsenic concentrations either remained constant (Hoare) or increased with depth (Fryxell) in the anoxic monimolimnia, whereas Mo exhibited dramatic decreases in concentrations across the redoxcline in both lakes. Geochemical modeling predicts that As and Mo occur as thioanions in the anoxic bottom waters of Lakes Hoare and Fryxell, and further that the contrasting behavior of both trace elements reflects the respective reactivity of their thioanions towards Fe-sulfide minerals such as mackinawite (FeS) and/or pyrite (FeS2). More specifically, the geochemical model suggests that Fe-sulfide mineral precipitation in the anoxic monimolimnia of both lakes regulates dissolved sulfide concentrations at levels that are too low for As-sulfide minerals (e.g., orpiment, realgar) to precipitate, whereas mackinawite and/or pyrite react(s) with particle reactive thiomolybdate anions, possibly forming an Fe\–Mo\–S mineral that precipitates and, hence, leads to Mo removal from solution.

}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, issn = {00092541}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.03.029}, url = {http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0009254115001874http://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0009254115001874?httpAccept=text/xmlhttp://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0009254115001874?httpAccept=text/plain}, author = {Yang, Ningfang and Kathleen A. Welch and Mohajerin, T. Jade and Telfeyan, Katherine and Chevis, Darren A. and Grimm, Deborah A. and W. Berry Lyons and White, Christopher D. and Johannesson, Karen H.} } @article {1093, title = {The carbon stable isotope biogeochemistry of streams, Taylor Valley, Antarctica}, journal = {Applied Geochemistry}, volume = {32}, year = {2013}, month = {05/2013}, pages = {26 - 36}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {10.1016/j.apgeochem.2012.08.019}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Leslie, D.L. and Harmon, R.S. and Klaus Neumann and Kathleen A. Welch and Bisson, K. M. and Diane M. McKnight} } @article {1292, title = {The chemical composition of runoff from Canada Glacier, Antarctica: implications for glacier hydrology during a cool summer}, journal = {Annals of Glaciology}, volume = {40}, year = {2005}, pages = {15-19}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Martyn Tranter and Andrew G Fountain and W. Berry Lyons and Thomas H. Nylen and Kathleen A. Welch} } @article {1293, title = {Comment on {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}El Ni{\~n}o suppresses Antarctic warming{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} by N. Bertler et al.}, journal = {Geophysical Research Letters}, volume = {32}, year = {2005}, pages = {L07706}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, Tropical meteorology}, doi = {10.1029/2004GL021716}, author = {Peter T. Doran and Gary D. Clow and Christian H. Fritsen and Christopher P. McKay and Andrew N. Parsons and John C. Priscu and W. Berry Lyons and Walsh, J and Andrew G Fountain and Diane M. McKnight and Daryl L. Moorhead and Ross A. Virginia and Diana H. Wall} } @article {1324, title = {The Carbon Isotopic Composition of Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in Perennially Ice-Covered Antarctica Lakes: Searching for a Biogenic Signature.}, journal = {Annals of Glaciology}, volume = {39}, year = {2004}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Klaus Neumann and W. Berry Lyons and John C. Priscu and David J. DesMarais and Kathleen A. Welch} } @inbook {1359, title = {Century to millennial scale climate change and ecosystem response in Taylor Valley, Antarctica}, booktitle = {Climate Variability and Ecosystem Response at Long-Term Ecological Research Sites}, series = {Long-Term Ecological Research Network}, year = {2003}, pages = {319-340}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, organization = {Oxford University Press}, address = {New York City}, keywords = {LTER-MCM, Climate Response}, isbn = {0195150597}, author = {Andrew G Fountain and W. Berry Lyons}, editor = {D. Greenland and D. G. Goodin and R. C. Smith} } @inbook {1360, title = {Chemistry and lake dynamics of the Taylor Valley lakes, Antarctica: The importance of long-term monitoring.}, booktitle = {Antarctic Ecosystems: Models for Wider Ecological Understanding}, year = {2003}, publisher = {Caxton Press}, organization = {Caxton Press}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Kathleen A. Welch and Klaus Neumann and W. Berry Lyons and Diane M. McKnight}, editor = {Clive Howard-Williams and W. Davidson and P. Broady} } @mastersthesis {1387, title = {The chemical evolution of Canada Glacier melt: supraglacial and proglacial waters in Taylor Valley, Antarctica}, volume = {M.S.}, year = {2002}, school = {The Ohio State University}, type = {masters}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Tegt, S} } @article {1400, title = {Chemical weathering in streams of a polar desert (Taylor Valley, Antarctica).}, journal = {GSA Bulletin}, volume = {113}, year = {2001}, pages = {1401-1408}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {C. A. Nezat and W. Berry Lyons and Kathleen A. Welch} } @article {1401, title = {CO2 concentrations in perennially ice-covered lakes of Taylor Valley, Antarctica}, journal = {Biogeochemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2001}, pages = {27-50}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Klaus Neumann and W. Berry Lyons and John C. Priscu and Donahoe, R} } @inbook {1426, title = {Climate and hydrologic variations and implications for lake and stream ecological response in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica}, booktitle = {Climate Variability and Ecosystem Response at Long Term Ecological Research Sites}, year = {2000}, pages = {174-195}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, organization = {Oxford University Press}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Kathleen A. Welch and W. Berry Lyons and Diane M. McKnight and Chris Jaros and Andrew G Fountain and Thomas H. Nylen and Peter T. Doran and Clive Howard-Williams}, editor = {D. Greenland and D. G. Goodin and R. C. Smith} } @phdthesis {1476, title = {Carbon dynamics in lakes and streams of Taylor Valley, Antarctica}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {1999}, school = {University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa}, type = {doctoral}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {Klaus Neumann} } @article {1451, title = {Chlorine-36 in the waters of the McMurdo Dry Valley lakes, southern Victoria Land, Antarctica: revisited}, journal = {Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta}, volume = {62}, year = {1999}, pages = {185-191}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Kathleen A. Welch and Pankaj Sharma} } @phdthesis {1536, title = {Chemical Weathering in Taylor Valley, Antarctica: Quantity and Quality}, volume = {Ph.D.}, year = {1998}, school = {University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa}, type = {doctoral}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, doi = {LTER}, author = {C. A. Nezat} } @inbook {1548, title = {Carbon dynamics of aquatic microbial mats in the Antarctic dry valleys: A modelling synthesis}, booktitle = {Ecosystem Processes in Antarctic Ice-free Landscapes}, year = {1997}, pages = {181-196}, publisher = {Balkema Press, Rotterdam}, organization = {Balkema Press, Rotterdam}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {Daryl L. Moorhead and W. Shane Davis and Robert A. Wharton Jr.} } @inbook {1549, title = {Chemical weathering rates and reactions in the Lake Fryxell Basin, Taylor Valley : Comparison to temperate river basins}, booktitle = {Ecosystem Processes in Antarctic Ice-free Landscapes}, year = {1997}, pages = {147-154}, publisher = {Balkema Press, Rotterdam}, organization = {Balkema Press, Rotterdam}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Kathleen A. Welch and C. A. Nezat and K. Crick and Jeffrey K. Toxey and J.A. Mastrine and Diane M. McKnight} } @inbook {1550, title = {Climate history of the McMurdo Dry Valleys since the last glacial maximum: A synthesis}, booktitle = {Ecosystem Processes in Antarctic Ice-free Landscapes}, year = {1997}, pages = {155-162}, publisher = {Balkema Press, Rotterdam}, organization = {Balkema Press, Rotterdam}, keywords = {LTER-MCM}, author = {W. Berry Lyons and Louis R. Bartek and Paul A. Mayewski and Peter T. Doran} }