02991nas a2200229 4500008004100000245018700041210006900228260001200297490000700309520217100316653001802487653001102505653001602516653001402532653001802546653001102564100002102575700002202596700002402618700002402642856009502666 2024 eng d00aDrifting along: Using diatoms to track the contribution of microbial mats to particulate organic matter transport in a glacial meltwater stream in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica0 aDrifting along Using diatoms to track the contribution of microb c05/20240 v153 a

Flow pulses mobilize particulate organic matter (POM) in streams from the surrounding landscape and streambed. This POM serves as a source of energy and nutrients, as well as a means for organismal dispersal, to downstream communities. In the barren terrestrial landscape of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica, benthic microbial mats occupying different in-stream habitat types are the dominant POM source in the many glacier-fed streams. Many of these streams experience daily flow peaks that mobilize POM, and diatoms recovered from underlying stream sediments suggest that mat-derived diatoms in the POM are retained there through hyporheic exchange. Yet, ‘how much’ and ‘when’ different in-stream habitat types contribute to POM diatom assemblages is unknown. To quantify the contribution of different in-stream habitat types to POM diatom assemblages, we collected time-integrated POM samples over four diel experiments, which spanned a gradient of flow conditions over three summers. Diatoms from POM samples were identified, quantified, and compared with dominant habitat types (i.e., benthic ‘orange’ mats, marginal ‘black’ mats, and bare sediments). Like bulk POM, diatom cell concentrations followed a clockwise hysteresis pattern with stream discharge over the daily flow cycles, indicating supply limitation. Diatom community analyses showed that different habitat types harbor distinct diatom communities, and mixing models revealed that a substantial proportion of POM diatoms originated from bare sediments during baseflow conditions. Meanwhile, orange and black mats contribute diatoms to POM primarily during daily flow peaks when both cell concentrations and discharge are highest, making mats the most important contributors to POM diatom assemblages at high flows. These observations may help explain the presence of mat-derived diatoms in hyporheic sediments. Our results thus indicate a varying importance of different in-stream habitats to POM generation and export on daily to seasonal timescales, with implications for biogeochemical cycling and the local diatom metacommunity.

10acyanobacteria10adiatom10aflow regime10ahydrology10amicrobial mat10aNostoc1 aStanish, Lee, F.1 aKohler, Tyler, J.1 aDarling, Joshua, P.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M. uhttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1352666/full03072nas a2200253 4500008004100000022001400041245011200055210006900167260001200236490000700248520227400255653001902529653001702548653002102565653002002586653001902606653001502625100002202640700002402662700002502686700002402711700002602735856005702761 2023 eng d a2161-954900aDifferentiating physical and biological storage of nitrogen along an intermittent Antarctic stream corridor0 aDifferentiating physical and biological storage of nitrogen alon c09/20230 v423 a

In many temperate streams, biological uptake of N acts to attenuate the transport of excess N from allochthonous anthropogenic imports. Relatively few studies have determined how this N uptake relates to the magnitude of physical vs. biological N storage in the stream corridor, especially for intermittent systems where allochthonous N imports are often low and N transport may only occur during brief periods of streamflow. Glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica provide an excellent setting to quantify autochthonous N cycling and storage processes supported by abundant algal mats and well-connected hyporheic zones. We combined historic point-scale sediment and periphyton sample datasets with remote sensing-based modeling of periphyton coverage to estimate how much N was stored in periphyton biomass and the hyporheic zone of a 5-km long McMurdo Dry Valley stream corridor (>100,000 m2). We contextualized these N storage calculations by estimating the magnitude of annual N imports to and exports from the stream corridor based on >2 decades of streamflow and surface water data, source glacier ice cores and meltwater data, and past studies of local aeolian deposition and biological N fixation rates. We found that in this highly oligotrophic system, stream corridor-scale N storage was ~1000x that of total annual N import or export fluxes. More than 90% of this temporarily stored N was autochthonous organic matter in the shallow (<10 cm) hyporheic zone, which acts as a reservoir that sustains N availability in the water column. Despite its location in a polar desert devoid of higher-order vegetation, area-normalized N storage (~40 g N/m2) was greater than that reported for streams at lower latitudes (~1–22 g N/m2). We also demonstrated that NH4+ sorption to stream sediment may be an important physicochemical N storage mechanism that responds to short-term fluctuations in streamflow and governs the mobility of inorganic N. Altogether, this research illustrates the importance of quantifying N storage within stream corridors when evaluating the significance of internal cycling and physical retention processes that modulate N availability.

10ahyporheic zone10aMcMurdo LTER10anitrogen cycling10anutrient budget10aorganic matter10aperiphyton1 aSingley, Joel, G.1 aSalvatore, Mark, R.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aHinckley, Eve-Lyn, S. uhttps://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/72567602474nas a2200229 4500008004100000245007500041210006900116260001200185300001800197490000800215520178800223653001502011653001602026653002802042653000802070653002202078653000902100100002502109700002502134700002402159856006102183 2022 eng d00aDissolved organic carbon chemostasis in Antarctic polar desert streams0 aDissolved organic carbon chemostasis in Antarctic polar desert s c07/2022 ae2021JG0066490 v1273 a

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is a key variable impacting stream biogeochemical processes. The relationship between DOC concentration (C) and stream discharge (q) can elucidate spatial and temporal DOC source dynamics in watersheds. In the ephemeral glacial meltwater streams of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica, the C-q relationship has been applied to dissolved inorganic nitrogen and weathering solutes including silica, which all exhibit chemostatic C-q behavior; but DOC-q dynamics have not been studied. DOC concentrations here are low compared to temperate streams, in the range of 0.1-2 mg C l-1, and their chemical signal clearly indicates derivation from microbial biomass (benthic mats and hyporheic biofilm). To investigate whether the DOC generation rate from these autochthonous organic matter pools was sufficient to maintain chemostasis for DOC, despite these streams' large diel and interannual fluctuations in discharge, we fit the long-term DOC-q data to a power law and an advection-reaction model. Model outputs and coefficients of variation characterize the DOC-q relationship as chemostatic for several MDV streams. We propose a conceptual model in which hyporheic carbon storage, hyporheic exchange rates, and net DOC generation rates are key interacting components that enable chemostatic DOC-q behavior in MDV streams. This model clarifies the role of autochthonous carbon stores in maintaining DOC chemostasis and may be useful for examining these relationships in temperate systems, which typically have larger sources of bioavailable autochthonous organic carbon than MDV streams but where this autochthonous signal could be masked by a stronger allochthonous contribution.

10aAntarctica10achemostasis10aconcentration-discharge10aDOC10aephemeral streams10aLTER1 aTorrens, Christa, L.1 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M. uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021JG00664902809nas a2200337 4500008004100000245012000041210006900161260001200230300001800242490000800260520168500268653002201953653002001975653004901995653001902044653001202063653004302075653001902118653002402137653002102161653003102182100002102213700002402234700002202258700002402280700002402304700002502328700002402353700002502377856006902402 2021 eng d00aDiatoms in hyporheic sediments trace organic matter retention and processing in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica0 aDiatoms in hyporheic sediments trace organic matter retention an c02/2021 ae2020JG0060970 v1263 a

In low‐nutrient streams in cold and arid ecosystems, the spiraling of autochthonous particulate organic matter (POM) may provide important nutrient subsidies downstream. Because of its lability and the spatial heterogeneity of processing in hyporheic sediments, the downstream transport and fate of autochthonous POM can be difficult to trace. In Antarctic McMurdo Dry Valley (MDV) streams, any POM retained in the hyporheic zone is expected to be derived from surface microbial mats that contain diatoms with long‐lasting silica frustules. We tested whether diatom frustules can be used to trace the retention of autochthonous POM in the hyporheic zone and whether certain geomorphic locations promote this process. The accumulation of diatom frustules in hyporheic sediments, measured as biogenic silica, was correlated with loss‐on‐ignition organic matter and sorbed ammonium, suggesting that diatoms can be used to identify locations where POM has been retained and processed over long timescales, regardless of whether the POM remains intact. In addition, by modeling the upstream sources of hyporheic diatom assemblages, we found that POM was predominantly derived from N‐fixing microbial mats of the genus Nostoc. In terms of spatial variability, we conclude that the hyporheic sediments adjacent to the stream channel that are regularly inundated by daily flood pulses are where the most POM has been retained over long timescales. Autochthonous POM is retained in hyporheic zones of low‐nutrient streams beyond the MDVs, and we suggest that biogenic silica and diatom composition can be used to identify locations where this transfer is most prevalent.

10abenthic processes10abiogenic silica10abiogeochemical cycles processes and modeling10acarbon cycling10adiatoms10agroundwater/surface water interactions10ahyporheic zone10aMcMurdo Dry Valleys10anitrogen cycling10aparticulate organic matter1 aHeindel, Ruth, C1 aDarling, Joshua, P.1 aSingley, Joel, G.1 aBergstrom, Anna, J.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aLukkari, Braeden, M.1 aWelch, Kathleen, A.1 aGooseff, Michael, N. uhttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020JG00609701931nas a2200229 4500008004100000245010800041210006900149260001200218490000700230520115400237100002101391700001701412700001701429700002401446700002401470700001601494700001601510700001701526700001501543700002301558856012001581 2019 eng d00aDiurnal chemistry of two contrasting stream types, Taylor Valley, McMurdo Dry Valley Region, Antarctica0 aDiurnal chemistry of two contrasting stream types Taylor Valley  c06/20190 v983 a

Numerous ephemeral streams flow within the McMurdo Dry Valley Region of Antarctica that transport glacial meltwater to perennially ice-covered, closed-basin lakes during the austral summer. The diurnal behavior for two Taylor Valley streams of different character was examined during the summer of 2010-11. Andersen Creek is a short, 1st-order proglacial stream, whereas Von Guerard Stream is a long, high-order stream with an extensive hyporheic zone that has a substantial cyanobacterial algal mat community in its middle reaches. Both streams display strong daily cycles for temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Conductivity varies in concert with flow, with solute dilution occurring during the daily high-flow pulse. Dissolved oxygen co-varies strongly with pH at Andersen Creek but not for Von Guerard Stream. Each stream has a distinct geochemical character that for Andersen Creek is a direct reflection of its glacial source, unmodified by secondary effects, whereas that for Von Guerard Stream is modulated by its resident algal mat community and through extensive hyporheic zone interaction and exchange.

1 aHarmon, Mark, E.1 aLeslie, D.L.1 aLyons, Berry1 aWelch, Kathleen, A.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aChudaev, O.1 aKharaka, Y.1 aHarmon, R.S.1 aMillot, R.1 aShouakar-Stash, O. uhttps://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/abs/2019/24/e3sconf_wri-162018_01020/e3sconf_wri-162018_01020.html00851nas a2200265 4500008004100000245009100041210006900132260001200201300001400213490000600227100002500233700002200258700001700280700002100297700002400318700001700342700002400359700002100383700002000404700003300424700003100457700002300488700002000511856005400531 2017 eng d00aDecadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica0 aDecadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a pola c09/2017 a1334-13380 v11 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aBarrett, John, E.1 aAdams, Byron1 aDoran, Peter, T.1 aFountain, Andrew, G1 aLyons, Berry1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aPriscu, John, C.1 aSokol, Eric, R.1 aTakacs-Vesbach, Cristina, D.1 aVandegehuchte, Martijn, L.1 aVirginia, Ross, A.1 aWall, Diana, H. uhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0253-003366nas a2200205 4500008004100000245009200041210006900133260001200202300001400214490000700228520274200235100001902977700001802996700001903014700001503033700001903048700002303067700002403090856004603114 2017 eng d00aDissolved black carbon in the global cryosphere: Concentrations and chemical signatures0 aDissolved black carbon in the global cryosphere Concentrations a c06/2017 a6226-62340 v443 a

Black carbon (BC) is derived from the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels and can enhance glacial recession when deposited on snow and ice surfaces. Here we explore the influence of environmental conditions and the proximity to anthropogenic sources on the concentration and composition of dissolved black carbon (DBC), as measured by benzenepolycaroxylic acid (BPCA) markers, across snow, lakes, and streams from the global cryosphere. Data are presented from Antarctica, the Arctic, and high alpine regions of the Himalayas, Rockies, Andes, and Alps. DBC concentrations spanned from 0.62 μg/L to 170 μg/L. The median and (2.5, 97.5) quantiles in the pristine samples were 1.8 μg/L (0.62, 12), and nonpristine samples were 21 μg/L (1.6, 170). DBC is susceptible to photodegradation when exposed to solar radiation. This process leads to a less condensed BPCA signature. In general, DBC across the data set was composed of less polycondensed DBC. However, DBC from the Greenland Ice Sheet (GRIS) had a highly condensed BPCA molecular signature. This could be due to recent deposition of BC from Canadian wildfires. Variation in DBC appears to be driven by a combination of photochemical processing and the source combustion conditions under which the DBC was formed. Overall, DBC was found to persist across the global cryosphere in both pristine and nonpristine snow and surface waters. The high concentration of DBC measured in supraglacial melt on the GRIS suggests that DBC can be mobilized across ice surfaces. This is significant because these processes may jointly exacerbate surface albedo reduction in the cryosphere. 

1 aKhan, Alia, L.1 aWagner, Sasha1 aJaffé, Rudolf1 aXian, Peng1 aWilliams, Mark1 aArmstrong, Richard1 aMcKnight, Diane, M. uhttp://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/2017GL07348501706nas a2200145 4500008004100000245009500041210006900136260001200205520122100217100001901438700001901457700001401476700002401490856004601514 2016 eng d00aDissolved black carbon in Antarctic lakes: chemical signatures of past and present sources0 aDissolved black carbon in Antarctic lakes chemical signatures of c06/20163 a

The perennially ice-covered, closed-basin lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, serve as sentinels for understanding the fate of dissolved black carbon from glacial sources in aquatic ecosystems. Here we show that dissolved black carbon can persist in freshwater and saline surface waters for thousands of years, while preserving the chemical signature of the original source materials. The ancient brines of the lake bottom waters have retained dissolved black carbon with a woody chemical signature, representing long-range transport of black carbon from wildfires. In contrast, the surface waters are enriched in contemporary black carbon from fossil fuel combustion. Comparison of samples collected 25 years apart from the same lake suggests that the enrichment in anthropogenic black carbon is recent. Differences in the chemical composition of dissolved black carbon among the lakes are likely due to biogeochemical processing such as photochemical degradation and sorption on metal oxides.

1 aKhan, Alia, L.1 aJaffé, Rudolf1 aDing, Yan1 aMcKnight, Diane, M. uhttp://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/2016GL06860902195nas a2200157 4500008004100000245014100041210006900182260001200251300001000263490000700273520155900280100002401839700002101863700002401884856012901908 2014 eng d00aDiel flow pulses drive particulate organic matter transport from microbial mats in a glacial meltwater stream in the McMurdo Dry Valleys0 aDiel flow pulses drive particulate organic matter transport from c01/2014 a86-970 v503 a Many glacial meltwater streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica contain abundant microbial mats, representing hot spots of primary production in a barren landscape. These mats persist through the winter in a freeze-dried state and grow in the summer, experiencing a dynamic hydrologic regime as streamflow varies on a diel cycle and with weather conditions. During diel peaks in flow these streams transport particulate organic matter (POM) to the downstream closed-basin lakes. We investigated the spatial and temporal dynamics of POM transport derived from the scouring of microbial mats in Von Guerard Stream of the MDV. The results show clockwise hysteresis effects in POM concentration over diel flood pulses and suggests that POM transport in the MDVs is supply limited. Further studies are required to confirm this and to identify the potential contributing sources of POM. The hysteresis effect was modeled using an approach derived from models of sediment transport in streams. Spatial variations in POM transport indicate that patch-scale variations in bed shear stress and benthic biomass also influence transport which is integrated downstream over several 100's of meters. Large variations in the POM transport dynamics between different diel flood pulses were found to be related to the time since a resetting flood event and the regrowth of potentially mobile benthic biomass, providing further evidence of the importance of supply limitation and flow variability in controlling the organic matter flux of stream ecosystems.1 aCullis, James, D.S.1 aStanish, Lee, F.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/diel-flow-pulses-drive-particulate-organic-matter-transport-microbial-mats-glacial-meltwater00711nas a2200181 4500008004100000020001800041245009200059210006900151250000600220260003100226100002500257700002400282700001500306700002400321700001900345700002100364856014400385 2010 eng d a978052150996100aDiatoms as indicators of environmental change in Antarctic and subantarctic freshwaters0 aDiatoms as indicators of environmental change in Antarctic and s a2 bCambridge University Press1 aSpaulding, Sarah, A.1 aVan de Vijver, Bart1 aHodgson, D1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aVerleyen, Elie1 aStanish, Lee, F. uhttp://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/life-sciences/plant-science/diatoms-applications-environmental-and-earth-sciences-2nd-edition00630nas a2200157 4500008004100000245011600041210006900157260001200226300001400238490000700252100002500259700002400284700002300308700001900331856012200350 2004 eng d00aDenitrification and hydrologic transient storage in a glacial meltwater stream, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica0 aDenitrification and hydrologic transient storage in a glacial me c09/2004 a1884-18950 v491 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aRunkel, Robert, L.1 aDuff, John, H. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/denitrification-and-hydrologic-transient-storage-glacial-meltwater-stream-mcmurdo-dry00558nas a2200145 4500008004100000245007900041210006900120300001400189490000700203100002500210700002400235700002300259700002200282856010800304 2003 eng d00aDetermining long time-scale hyporheic zone flow paths in Antarctic streams0 aDetermining long timescale hyporheic zone flow paths in Antarcti a1691-17100 v171 aGooseff, Michael, N.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aRunkel, Robert, L.1 aVaughn, Bruce, H. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/determining-long-time-scale-hyporheic-zone-flow-paths-antarctic-streams00614nas a2200157 4500008004100000245010900041210006900150300001400219490000700233100001500240700002400255700001200279700001500291700002500306856012500331 2002 eng d00aDirect observation of aluminosilicate weathering in the hyporheic zone of an Antarctic Dry Valley stream0 aDirect observation of aluminosilicate weathering in the hyporhei a1335-13470 v661 aMaurice, P1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aLeff, L1 aFulghun, J1 aGooseff, Michael, N. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/direct-observation-aluminosilicate-weathering-hyporheic-zone-antarctic-dry-valley-stream00587nas a2200169 4500008004100000245006800041210006600109300001200175490000700187100002400194700002000218700002500238700001900263700002400282700002000306856009100326 1999 eng d00aDry Valley streams in Antarctica: ecosystems waiting for water0 aDry Valley streams in Antarctica ecosystems waiting for water a985-9950 v491 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aNiyogi, Dev, K.1 aAlger, Alexander, S.1 aBomblies, Arne1 aConovitz, Peter, A.1 aTate, Cathy, M. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/dry-valley-streams-antarctica-ecosystems-waiting-water00640nas a2200145 4500008004100000245015200041210006900193300001200262490000700274100002500281700002400306700001900330700002100349856012400370 1997 eng d00aDiatoms in sediments of perennially ice-covered Lake Hoare, and implications for interpreting lake history in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica0 aDiatoms in sediments of perennially icecovered Lake Hoare and im a403-4200 v171 aSpaulding, Sarah, A.1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aStoermer, E.F.1 aDoran, Peter, T. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/diatoms-sediments-perennially-ice-covered-lake-hoare-and-implications-interpreting-lake00696nas a2200157 4500008004100000245017100041210006900212300001200281490000700293100002400300700002200324700002400346700001900370700002500389856012400414 1993 eng d00aDissolved Organic Material in Dry Valley Lakes: A Comparison of Lake Fryxell, Lake Hoare, and Lake Vanda, in Physical and Biogeochemical Processes in Antarctic Lakes0 aDissolved Organic Material in Dry Valley Lakes A Comparison of L a119-1330 v591 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aAiken, George, R.1 aAndrews, Edmund, D.1 aBowles, E., C.1 aHarnish, Richard, A. uhttps://mcm.lternet.edu/content/dissolved-organic-material-dry-valley-lakes-comparison-lake-fryxell-lake-hoare-and-lake