Lutz, S, Anesio, AM, Jorge Villar, SE et al. (1 more author) (2014) Variations of algal communities cause darkening of a Greenland glacier. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 89 (2). 402 - 414. ISSN 0168-6496
Abstract
We have assessed the microbial ecology on the surface of Mittivakkat glacier in SE-Greenland during the exceptional high melting season in July 2012 when the so far most extreme melting rate for the Greenland Ice Sheet has been recorded. By employing a complementary and multi-disciplinary field sampling and analytical approach, we quantified the dramatic changes in the different microbial surface habitats (green snow, red snow, biofilms, grey ice, cryoconite holes). The observed clear change in dominant algal community and their rapidly changing cryo-organic adaptation inventory was linked to the high melting rate. The changes in carbon and nutrient fluxes between different microbial pools (from snow to ice, cryoconite holes and glacial forefronts) revealed that snow and ice algae dominate the net primary production at the onset of melting, and that they have the potential to support the cryoconite hole communities as carbon and nutrient sources. A large proportion of algal cells is retained on the glacial surface and temporal and spatial changes in pigmentation contribute to the darkening of the snow and ice surfaces. This implies that the fast, melt-induced algal growth has a high albedo reduction potential, and this may lead to a positive feedback speeding up melting processes.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. This is the accepted version of the following article: Lutz, S., Anesio, A. M., Jorge Villar, S. E. and Benning, L. G. (2014), Variations of algal communities cause darkening of a Greenland glacier. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 89: 402–414, which has been published in final form at http:dx.doi.org/10.1111/1574-6941.12351 |
Keywords: | snow and ice algae; albedo; pigments; melting; Greenland; microbial habitats |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Earth and Environment (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 22 Aug 2014 14:33 |
Last Modified: | 07 Jan 2017 16:52 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1574-6941.12351 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Identification Number: | 10.1111/1574-6941.12351 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:79994 |