Distribution of rare earth elements and other high field strength elements in glacial meltwaters and sediments from the western Greenland Ice Sheet: Evidence for different sources of particles and nanoparticles

摘要

Although global warming increases meltwater input into the oceans, rather little is known about the distribution of high field strength elements such as the rare earths and Y (REY), Zr, Hf, Th, and U in arctic glacial meltwaters and glacial-fed rivers. We studied glacial meltwater and glacial-fed rivers from the Kangerlussuaq area and a glacial-fed lake and its meltwater inflow in the Isua area, both in the western part of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GRIS). Trace element concentrations were determined in 0.2 mu m-filtered water samples ("dissolved" fraction), in the respective filter residues ("particulate" fraction) and in ambient sediments (including cryoconite from a meltwater pond on the surface of the GRIS). We also measured "truly dissolved" REY concentrations in a 10 kDa-ultrafiltered sample from glacial-fedWatson River.