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Glaciers as a source of ancient and labile organic matter to the marine environment

Author

Listed:
  • Eran Hood

    (Environmental Science and Geography Program, University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, Alaska 99801, USA)

  • Jason Fellman

    (Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775, USA
    Present addresses: School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia (J.F.); Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA (R.G.M.S.).)

  • Robert G. M. Spencer

    (Air and Water Resources, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA
    Present addresses: School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia (J.F.); Department of Plant Sciences, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA (R.G.M.S.).)

  • Peter J. Hernes

    (Air and Water Resources, University of California Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA)

  • Rick Edwards

    (Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Juneau, Alaska 99801, USA)

  • David D’Amore

    (Pacific Northwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Juneau, Alaska 99801, USA)

  • Durelle Scott

    (Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA)

Abstract

Glacier runoff as a carbon source Biogeochemical cycling along coastlines is influenced by the influx of terrestrial organic matter and nutrients from rivers. Coastal ecosystems are therefore sensitive to any alteration in the amount and reactivity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) delivered. The Gulf of Alaska drainage basin contains more than 10% of the mountain glaciers on Earth and its annual runoff is the second greatest discharge of freshwater into the Pacific Ocean. A survey of streamwater DOM content in samples from eleven coastal watersheds along the Gulf of Alaska during peak glacial runoff now shows that the bioavailability of DOM to marine microorganisms is significantly correlated with increasing age, in contrast to the norm in non-glacial rivers. The findings suggest that glacial runoff is a quantitatively important source of labile reduced carbon to marine ecosystems and that climatically driven changes in glacier volume could alter the age, quantity and reactivity of DOM entering coastal oceans.

Suggested Citation

  • Eran Hood & Jason Fellman & Robert G. M. Spencer & Peter J. Hernes & Rick Edwards & David D’Amore & Durelle Scott, 2009. "Glaciers as a source of ancient and labile organic matter to the marine environment," Nature, Nature, vol. 462(7276), pages 1044-1047, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:462:y:2009:i:7276:d:10.1038_nature08580
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08580
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    Cited by:

    1. Jingyu Liu & Yipeng Wang & Samuel L. Jaccard & Nan Wang & Xun Gong & Nianqiao Fang & Rui Bao, 2023. "Pre-aged terrigenous organic carbon biases ocean ventilation-age reconstructions in the North Atlantic," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Jing Wei & Laurent Fontaine & Nicolas Valiente & Peter Dörsch & Dag O. Hessen & Alexander Eiler, 2023. "Trajectories of freshwater microbial genomics and greenhouse gas saturation upon glacial retreat," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

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