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Towards critical white ice conditions in lakes under global warming

Author

Listed:
  • Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer

    (Uppsala University)

  • Ulrike Obertegger

    (Research and Innovation Centre)

  • Hugo Rudebeck

    (Uppsala University)

  • Ellinor Jakobsson

    (Uppsala University)

  • Joachim Jansen

    (Uppsala University)

  • Galina Zdorovennova

    (Karelian Research Centre RAS)

  • Sheel Bansal

    (Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)

  • Benjamin D. Block

    (Tetra Tech, Inc.)

  • Cayelan C. Carey

    (Virginia Tech)

  • Jonathan P. Doubek

    (Lake Superior State University
    Lake Superior State University)

  • Hilary Dugan

    (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • Oxana Erina

    (Lomonosov Moscow State University)

  • Irina Fedorova

    (St Petersburg State University)

  • Janet M. Fischer

    (Franklin & Marshall College)

  • Laura Grinberga

    (University of Latvia)

  • Hans-Peter Grossart

    (Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
    Potsdam University)

  • Külli Kangur

    (Estonian University of Life- Sciences)

  • Lesley B. Knoll

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Alo Laas

    (Estonian University of Life- Sciences)

  • Fabio Lepori

    (University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland)

  • Jacob Meier

    (Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)

  • Nikolai Palshin

    (Karelian Research Centre RAS)

  • Mark Peternell

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Merja Pulkkanen

    (Finnish Environment Institute)

  • James A. Rusak

    (Queen’s University
    Conservation and Parks)

  • Sapna Sharma

    (York University)

  • Danielle Wain

    (7 Lakes Alliance)

  • Roman Zdorovennov

    (Karelian Research Centre RAS)

Abstract

The quality of lake ice is of uppermost importance for ice safety and under-ice ecology, but its temporal and spatial variability is largely unknown. Here we conducted a coordinated lake ice quality sampling campaign across the Northern Hemisphere during one of the warmest winters since 1880 and show that lake ice during 2020/2021 commonly consisted of unstable white ice, at times contributing up to 100% to the total ice thickness. We observed that white ice increased over the winter season, becoming thickest and constituting the largest proportion of the ice layer towards the end of the ice cover season when fatal winter drownings occur most often and light limits the growth and reproduction of primary producers. We attribute the dominance of white ice before ice-off to air temperatures varying around the freezing point, a condition which occurs more frequently during warmer winters. Thus, under continued global warming, the prevalence of white ice is likely to substantially increase during the critical period before ice-off, for which we adjusted commonly used equations for human ice safety and light transmittance through ice.

Suggested Citation

  • Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer & Ulrike Obertegger & Hugo Rudebeck & Ellinor Jakobsson & Joachim Jansen & Galina Zdorovennova & Sheel Bansal & Benjamin D. Block & Cayelan C. Carey & Jonathan P. Doubek & Hilary D, 2022. "Towards critical white ice conditions in lakes under global warming," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-32633-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32633-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Barbara Benson & John Magnuson & Olaf Jensen & Virginia Card & Glenn Hodgkins & Johanna Korhonen & David Livingstone & Kenton Stewart & Gesa Weyhenmeyer & Nick Granin, 2012. "Extreme events, trends, and variability in Northern Hemisphere lake-ice phenology (1855–2005)," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 112(2), pages 299-323, May.
    2. Robin E. Bell & Michael Studinger & Anahita A. Tikku & Garry K.C. Clarke & Michael M. Gutner & Chuck Meertens, 2002. "Origin and fate of Lake Vostok water frozen to the base of the East Antarctic ice sheet," Nature, Nature, vol. 416(6878), pages 307-310, March.
    3. Sapna Sharma & Kevin Blagrave & John J. Magnuson & Catherine M. O’Reilly & Samantha Oliver & Ryan D. Batt & Madeline R. Magee & Dietmar Straile & Gesa A. Weyhenmeyer & Luke Winslow & R. Iestyn Woolway, 2019. "Widespread loss of lake ice around the Northern Hemisphere in a warming world," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(3), pages 227-231, March.
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