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The importance of oxygen isotope provenance in relation to solute content of bulk meltwaters at Imersuaq Glacier, West Greenland
Author(s) -
Yde Jacob C.,
Tvis Knudsen N.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.1317
Subject(s) - meltwater , glacier , geology , glacial period , snow , provenance , isotopes of oxygen , greenland ice sheet , ice sheet , geomorphology , oceanography , geochemistry
Stable oxygen isotope analysis and measurement of several dissolved cations and anions of bulk meltwater samples have provided information about the hydrochemical environment of the glacial hydrological system at Imersuaq Glacier, an outlet tongue from the Greenland ice‐sheet, West Greenland. The samples were collected at frequent intervals during the period 20–28 July 2000 in a small (<20 L s −1 ) englacial meltwater outlet at the glacier margin. The results document the following findings: (i) a marked diurnal variation of δ 18 O is related to the composition of oxygen isotope provenances, mainly near‐marginal local superimposed ice and basal up‐sheared ice further up‐glacier; (ii) a relationship is seen between all base cations (Na + , K + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ ), SO 4 2− and δ 18 O, indicating that solute acquisition is provided by solid–solution contact with the up‐sheared ice—as the relationship with Cl − is weak the influence of seasalt‐derived solutes is small in the area; (iii) when the melt rate is high, two diurnal maxima of δ 18 O values and solute concentrations are measured, and it is suggested that a snow meltwater component is responsible for the second maximum of δ 18 O—a short residence time leads to a delayed decrease in ion concentrations. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.