Open AccessSome physical and chemical characteristics of an arctic beaded stream
Author(s) -
Oswood Mark W.,
Everett K. R.,
Schell Donald M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
ecography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.973
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1600-0587
pISSN - 0906-7590
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0587.1989.tb00848.x
Subject(s) - dissolved organic carbon , tundra , substrate (aquarium) , peat , alkalinity , bedrock , environmental chemistry , hydrology (agriculture) , weathering , environmental science , arctic , geology , chemistry , ecology , oceanography , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology
Imnavait Creek is a tundra stream in the Arctic Foothills of Alaska. The stream is beaded, i.e. consists of pools (up to ∼ 2 m deep) connected by narrow channels. Peat dominates pool and channel substrate materials with occasional rock and moss substrates. The watershed is underlain by ice‐bonded till and is hydrologically watertight. Because of low rates of weathering, bedrock and till do not contribute significantly to ionic composition of the stream water. Breakup occurs in late May to early June with surface flow until September. During periods of low rainfall, channel flow is reduced and pools become hydrologically isolated and thermally stratified (with very high surface water temperatures). Streamwater is acidic (pH values 5.3–6.1) with very low alkalinity (≤3 mg l −1 ). The major transport of ions occurs in early flow derived from snow melt. Organic carbon concentrations are high with very high ratios of dissolved to particulate organic carbon. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations appear to be very low. High concentrations of dissolved organic material may indicate a central role for DOM in trophic dynamics.