Temporal isotopic variations of dissolved silicon in a pristine boreal river

• Interest in quantifying the biogenic impact on the terrestrial biogeochemical Si cycle has increased significantly since biological control has been suggested. Previous observations of isotopic fractionation of Si during biogeochemical and geochemical processes imply that seasonal dissolved Si isotopic patterns in rivers have the potential for use in extracting information about the riverineand terrestrial biogeochemical Si cycles.Therefore, variations in the isotopic composition of dissolved riverine Si were investigated for the Kalix River, Northern Sweden, one of the largest pristine rivers in Europe, based on high-frequency sampling during a period of 25 weeks from early April to early October 2006. Temporal variations spanning 0.4. for δ29Si and 0.8. for δ30Si of dissolved Si in the Kalix River were observed during the period, suggesting that the riverine Si input to the oceans cannot be considered to have a constant Si isotopic composition even on a short time scale. The results implicate biogeochemical Si-cycling via formation and dissolution of biogenic silica as major processes controlling the Si transport in boreal systems. The Si budget in the river system appeared to be controlled by relative Si accretions during high discharge events and relative Si depletions in the subarctic mountainous and lake dominated areas. There were also temporal variations in Si isotopic composition with accretion (relative Si contribution), accompanied by depletion of the heavier Si isotopes, while the opposite trend was observed during periods of riverine Si depletion. These isotope variations can be explained by release of plant derived silica, depleted in heavier Si isotopes, during the spring snowmelt. Further, increased volumetric contribution from the headwater and losses of Si due to biogenic silica formation by diatoms in the subarctic lakes at a later period are expected to be responsible for the preferential losses of lighter isotopes. These conclusions are further verified by land cover analysis.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Ekologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Ecology (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Geokemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Geochemistry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Landskapsekologi

Landscape Ecology

Applied Geology

Tillämpad geologi

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