Stable silicon isotopic compositions of the Lena River and its tributaries : Implications for silicon delivery to the Arctic Ocean

• Silicon isotope values (delta Si-30(DSi)) of dissolved silicon (DSi) have been analyzed in the Lena River and its tributaries, one of the largest Arctic watersheds in the world. The geographical and temporal variations of delta Si-30(DSi) range from +0.39 to +1.86% with DSi concentrations from 34 to 121 mu M. No obvious patterns of DSi concentrations and delta Si-30(DSi) values were observed along over 200 km of the two major tributaries, the Viliui and Aldan Rivers. In summer, the variations of DSi concentrations and delta Si-30(DSi) values in the water are either caused by biological uptake by higher plants and phytoplankton or by mixing of water masses carrying different DSi concentrations and delta Si-30(DSi) values. DSi in tributaries from the Verkhoyansk Mountain Range seems to be associated with secondary clay formation that increased the delta Si-30(DSi) values, while terrestrial biological production is likely more prevalent in controlling delta Si-30(DSi) values in Central Siberian Plateau and Lena Amganski Inter-River Area. In winter, when soils were frozen, the delta Si-30(DSi) values in the river appeared to be controlled by weathering and clay formation in deep intrapermafrost groundwater. During the spring flood, dissolved silicate materials and phytoliths were flushed from the upper thawed soils into rivers, which reset delta Si-30(DSi) values to the values observed prior to the biological bloom in summer. The results indicate that the Si isotope values reflect the changing processes controlling Si outputs to the Lena River and to the Arctic Ocean between seasons. The annual average delta Si-30(DSi) value of the Lena Si flux is calculated to be +0.86 +/- 0.3 parts per thousand using measured delta Si-30(DSi) values from each season. Combined with the estimate of + 1.6 +/- 0.25 parts per thousand for the Yenisey River, an updated delta Si-30(DSi) value of the major river Si inputs to the Arctic Ocean is estimated to be + 1.3 +/- 0.3 parts per thousand. This value is expected to shift towards higher values in the future because of the impacts from a variety of biological and geochemical processes and sources under global warming.

Subject headings

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

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

Keyword

Silicon isotopes

Lena River

Tributary

Arctic

Seasonality

The changing Earth

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)